


Absent Father, Broken Sons

by Antarctic_Echoes



Series: Carry On, Wayward Son [9]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Grand Romance, Non-Graphic Violence, Some Lucifer Whump, Strong Language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-08-28 05:07:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 44,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8432926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antarctic_Echoes/pseuds/Antarctic_Echoes
Summary: When Yahweh goes missing from Heaven, Lucifer fears his father is out to get him -- only to discover that things are far worse....





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> A super-huge THANK YOU!! to all of you wonderful readers out there who have have kept up with this Lucifer and Chloe. It really means a lot to me, and you are all awesome! Knowing that all of you are reading and commenting keeps me inspired to keep on writing. Thank you all so much -- I am YOUR biggest fan!
> 
> A massive THANK YOU to the best beta in the world, ScooterThyme, whose editing skills are AMAZING!! Thank you!!!
> 
>  
> 
> Disclaimer: Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker, Trixie Decker, Mazikeen and Amenadiel are owned by Vertigo Comics, DC Comics, Neil Gaiman, Mike Carey, and everyone else involved with the Lucifer TV show and comic books. I own nothing and make no money on this. I merely am borrowing the characters for... uh... writing practice. (Everyone else is my creation.)

 

 

The madness of one makes many mad.

-Latin Proverb

 

For rarely are sons similar to their fathers:    
most are worse, and a few are better than their fathers.

-Homer

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Zerachiel wondered for the millionth time how he got the short straw regarding Father.

Looking over his mad father was hard work.  Yahweh was extremely difficult to deal with, what with him hiding under tables and behind chairs.  It was exhausting.  Zerachiel’s brothers and sisters insisted that he tell Father of all the usual dealings in Heaven, Earth and Hell, as if the god was still sane... but he wasn’t.  Half the time when the angel was reporting, Yahweh would start blubbering and yanking his hair.  Yanking his hair was a bad sign.  It meant that uncontrollable screaming would start... and go on for hours.   _ Hours. _

No one could get close to the poor god.  Zerachiel would have never imagined that his father -- that strong, mighty father who ruled with an iron fist -- could be brought down so low.  He missed Yahweh as he used to be.  He didn’t want to be a nursemaid to someone he had looked up to his entire life.  He didn’t want to be a caretaker.  He wanted to go about his regular duties, report to his father, and let him make all the decisions.  

No one really knew how Yahweh had lost his mind.  His guards reported fighting Amenadiel, Maze, Lucifer and the Old God months ago when the demon army had attacked, but at that time their father was still sane.  After they had all been rendered unconscious was when... whatever had happened, happened.  

A part of Zerachiel burned in anger at Lucifer. The fallen angel had taken the blame for it all, saying merely that Yahweh got what he deserved, and that he’d become a better father for it.  Well, that was all fine and good for him to say -- he didn’t have to look after their poor father and wait on him hand and foot.  He didn’t have to deal with the tantrums, the screaming spells, and the brief bouts of sanity where Yahweh actually sounded coherent, before returning to his frightened, mad ways.  

Those brief spells of lucidness were the hardest on Zerachiel.  That’s when he would think that maybe this time -- this time -- he’d have back the father he always knew.  Yahweh would look around, ask about the state of Heaven and Earth, and nod sagely, as if he understood all that was going on.  Then he’d ask about Hell, and that’s when all the madness would return.

Climbing the stairs to the solar, the angel hoped for the same thing everyday: that perhaps, today, Father would regain his sanity.

When he reached the top, he was surprised to see the door unlocked and ajar.  That shouldn’t be  -- 

Panic filled Zerachiel as he whipped open the door.  Nothing.  The solar was devoid of life.  Yahweh was gone.

 


	2. Pregnancy Check

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme! You rock!

 

 

Laying in bed early in the morning, Chloe gazed at her husband.  She had to say, she was proud of her Devil.

It had been two months since Lucifer had thrown Aphrodite back onto her plane, and he seemed to finally be adjusting to the married life.  Like the perfect husband, he took good care of Trixie and of her, always thinking of the both of them and putting their needs first.  Cooking, taking the little girl to school and therapy, helping with homework (although that was always dicey with Lucifer) -- all of it.  

He was also visiting Doctor Martin regularly to discuss his time in captivity, along with the re-occurring nightmares -- which were lessening, thank goodness.  The therapy sessions were doing him good -- he seemed much more... calm and happy.  Hopefully he was also discussing impending fatherhood with the good doctor.

Her fallen angel was still having a tough time dealing with the baby situation.  He freaked out regularly, and it took a lot of comforting from both her and Trixie to calm him down.  When he first felt the baby move -- which was unfortunately when they were making love -- he had screamed like a banshee and leaped off the balcony.  All night long she had worried about him until he finally came home, shamefaced and apologetic.  She suspected he had gone to see Doctor Martin.  Well, at least she hoped that’s where he had gone.

Lucifer could see she was getting larger, but her changing shape never seemed to bother him.  In fact, he seemed to enjoy her larger... everything.  Quite the opposite from Dan, who had loved her being pregnant, but not so much all the changes that went with it.  The way Lucifer dealt with everything was so fresh and different, like he was experiencing things for the very first time -- which he was, but she would have assumed he would know at least a  _ little _ bit about childbirth...?

The one thing Chloe worried about was that Lucifer was so... alone.  She was always there for him -- there was no question about that -- but he lacked... friends.  Buddies.  Rafe, Amenadiel, Maze and Sachiel were good, but there was always a wall that he put between himself and them.  Maze was his demon -- an underling, not really someone he could pal around with -- and his siblings were... his siblings.  They loved each other, but it would take a long time for Lucifer to get over his bitter feelings toward them.

She tried to encourage him to see her Old God relatives, but he seemed strangely resistant to the idea.  Even though they treated him well and welcomed him with open arms, it was almost as if he was afraid to go.  Oh sure, he’d go if she went with him, like when they went to announce their marriage and break the news of the impending birth, but otherwise he stayed away.  He was very alone, and it worried her.

As he stirred beside her, she reached out and brushed the hair back from his forehead.  A smile lit Lucifer’s face, although he kept his eyes closed.  Chloe let her hand run down to caress his stubble-lined cheek before pulling away.  

“Hey,” she whispered.

“Hello, love,” he whispered back as he opened his beautiful dark eyes and gazed at her lovingly.  

“How are you feeling today?  Any nightmares?”

He shook his head.  “Not a one.”  

“That’s really good news,” she said as she started to get out of bed.  Reaching over, the fallen angel stopped her with an arm.  

“Must you get up?”

Raising her eyebrows in surprise, Chloe asked, “Why, what’s wrong?”

“I thought that maybe we could....”  He looked at her suggestively, a bright, eager look on his face which made her chuckle.

“My dear Devil,” she chided, “you know today is the day that Rafe comes to check up on the baby, and he likes to come early.  What would he think if he were to come in while we were making love?”

“He’d be bloody jealous,” Lucifer said with a laugh.  Pulling her closer, his sensuous eyes half-closed, he whispered, “Because I have the loveliest wife in all of Creation.”

When he said things like that, Chloe couldn’t resist.  Her heart beat in overtime as she settled back into bed with a smile.  “Damn you, Lucifer, you know I have to get up....”

Grinning, he let his hands roam her body.  “Already damned, love, so let’s make the most of it, shall we...?”

 

 

________________________________________

  
  


Later, as they cuddled in bed, Raphael arrived on their balcony.  His loud greeting announced his presence, as did Trixie’s “Rafe!” from the living room.  Sending a robed Lucifer out to greet him while she scrambled into her clothes, she couldn’t help but laugh ruefully.  She knew this would happen!  

When she finally made it out to the living room, she saw Trixie happily playing Molly McDowell with Raphael on the floor while Lucifer was in the kitchen, making coffee.  The sight did wonders for Chloe’s heart.  Trixie had finally started showing signs of her old self, laughing and playing more.  The therapy with Doctor Martin was doing her a world of good.  Although the little girl enjoyed playing with Sachiel and Raphael, she tended to stick close to Lucifer the most, which always made Chloe smile.  She knew it also warmed her husband’s heart, although he would never admit it.

The healer excused himself from the little girl and stood up, which sent Trixie dashing over into the other room to watch her Saturday morning cartoons.  He wandered over to the bar, where Lucifer set a steaming mug of coffee down for him before pouring himself a shot of Scotch.

“Seltzer for you, love?” the fallen angel asked his wife as he opened the bar refrigerator door.

“Please,” she said before turning to Raphael.  “How are you, Rafe?”

“Doing well, thanks.  How are you doing?”

“Splendid!  The sex has been  _ amazing, _ thank you for asking,” Lucifer interjected with a grin as he handed a glass of seltzer to his wife.  His brother gave him a narrow-eyed look.

“I was asking Chloe, you ass.”

“Oh dearie me, and here I thought you were concerned about  _ my _ welfare,” the fallen angel said innocently.  Leaning forward on the counter, he added, “But the sex  _ has _ been bloody amazing, Rafe.  You really should try having sex with a pregnant woman!  Not with my wife, obviously, but --”

“I’ve been getting backaches, leg cramps and some heartburn,” Chloe interrupted when it looked like Raphael was about to punch Lucifer.  “But the powders my brother has given me help with those, and they keep my energy levels up.”

“Those powders are quite fascinating,” Raphael said with interest.  “I’ve never seen anything like them.  Maybe I can meet your brother one day?”

“Well, I can see if I can arrange --”

“No.” Lucifer said firmly, which surprised Chloe.  

“It’s only Rafe --”

“No.”  Stubborn lines etched their way onto the fallen angel’s face.

Grabbing her husband’s arm, Chloe turned to the healer and said, “Excuse us for a moment,” before pulling Lucifer to one side.  In a puzzled voice, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

An uncomfortable look crossed his features before he lifted his chin and said, “I don’t want him going there.”

“Why?”

“Bloody hell, do I need a reason, love?”

“Yes, in this case you do.  It’s Rafe, Lucifer.   _ Rafe. _  What harm could he possibly do?”  At his silence, she shook his arm gently.  “Talk to me.”

For a long moment he stared in the distance unseeingly, refusing to meet her gaze.  When he finally glanced back at her, his eyes were sad.  “It’s just that....”

“What?”

“If Rafe goes, others will follow.  You know what my bloody siblings think of me, dearheart.”  Lucifer fidgeted uncomfortably before continuing.  “What if the Family gets wind of all the sodding lies about me?  What if they --” he broke off and looked away again, his jaw clenched.

Understanding filled Chloe, causing a sharp pain in her heart.  Hugging her husband hard, she said, “They will still love you, Lucifer, just as I do.  They see what I see -- that you’re a good man.”

His arms slowly went around her, and he hugged her hard as he buried his face in her neck.  She stroked the hair at the nape of his neck lovingly before kissing his cheek.  

“Now no more of this,” she said cheerfully.  “Rafe is here, and we have to be good hosts.”  Chloe felt him nod against her before he straightened.  Taking his hand in hers, she led him back to the bar where Raphael was staring at his coffee quietly.  

At their approach, the angel turned and asked, “Shall we see how the baby’s doing?”

Grateful that Raphael was letting the subject drop, Chloe smiled and took the hand the healer held out to her.  Walking with him to the couch, she sat down as he took a seat beside her.  Still holding her hand, he closed his eyes and concentrated.  A blue glow started to emanate from his grip.

Lucifer ambled his way over and sat down in the armchair as he waited for the assessment to be done.  Chloe winked at him while she waited, which had her husband blinking in surprise before a soft smile lit his face.

“Well the baby continues to be quite healthy,” Raphael said as he lowered Chloe’s hand.  “No problems, as far as I can see.”

“Do you know yet if it’s a Nephilim?” she asked.  

“It won’t be,” Lucifer said confidently.

The healer glanced at his brother with a disbelieving shake of his head before turning back to Chloe.  “It doesn’t seem to be a Nephilim, but then again, they develop at different rates.  Some didn’t show any signs until right before birth.  But don’t worry about it yet,” he said at her anxious look.  “We’ll deal with it when the time comes.”  With twinkling eyes, he asked, “Do you want to know if it’s a boy or girl?”

“No,” Chloe said, right as the fallen angel cried, “Yes!”

She shot her husband a dark look.  “No.”

Dismay filled his face.  “But surely you want to know?”

“And ruin the surprise?  No.”

Lifting his chin defiantly, he said, “Right.  Well, Rafe can tell me -- I just won’t tell you.”

“Ha!  Like you can keep something this big from me?”  Chloe’s obvious disbelief at his ability to keep a secret from her had him frowning mightily.  “It will slip out at some point.  I’m not having it.  No.”

“Bloody hell,” Lucifer muttered under his breath as he shifted in the armchair and turned away.  “I can keep a secret.  I’m the bloody Devil!”  His wife merely laughed at his disgruntled expression before turning back to the healer, who was smiling at the whole exchange.

“No, Rafe, we do not want to know,” she said clearly. 

“Very well.  You should start thinking of names, though,” Raphael said as he got to his feet.  “You  _ are _ halfway through your pregnancy.”  

“Thank you for coming each week,” Chloe said.  “We really appreciate it.  Would you like to stay for breakfast?”

“I’d like that,” Raphael said and grinned as his brother pulled an unhappy face.

“Well in that case, I’m getting dressed,” Lucifer proclaimed as he walked to the master bedroom.

A short time later, spiffily dressed in a snowy white dress shirt and black trousers, he rejoined them and started pulling the eggs out of the refrigerator.  “Omelettes okay?” he asked everyone.

“Fine by me,” Chloe said happily.  “Do you need help?”

“Please, love, the Devil  _ can _ cook,” her husband chided with a grin.  

Raphael just laughed at the two of them, then asked, “So what are you going to name the baby?”

“Damien,” Lucifer answered immediately, which got him a playful but hard punch in the arm from his wife.  “Ow!  Well, maybe not Damien,” he amended.  

“If it’s a boy, I was thinking John after my father --” Chloe began before the fallen angel shot her a dirty look.

“No.  No Dad names.  No.”  

Gaping at him, she cried, “But Lucifer! Most names refer to God in some way!”

“If I can’t have Damien, you can’t have Dad names.”  Folding his arms across his chest, the Devil nodded firmly, which had his wife rolling her eyes in frustration and his brother chuckling.

“I’m sure you’ll find some --”  Raphael suddenly broke off, getting a faraway look in his eye. Both Chloe and Lucifer looked at him with concern and approached him, for they knew that look -- the healer got it when his siblings in Heaven were talking to him.

“What is it?” the fallen angel asked.

“Nothing good,” he answered with a shake of his head.  “Emergency Council meeting -- they’re pulling me in.”

“What happened?” Chloe asked.

Raphael looked at them both worriedly.  “It’s Father.  He’s missing.”

 


	3. The Council Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A great big thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme! You're awesome!

 

 

“What do you mean, Dad’s missing?” Lucifer asked, shocked.

“That’s just what Zerachiel said -- Father’s missing,” Raphael said with a shake of his head.

It was what the fallen angel had been fearing ever since Yahweh had lost his mind.  The thought of the god coming to exact revenge worried him greatly.  He had never expected his worst fears to come true, though.  His stomach lurched uncomfortably.  Hopefully he wasn’t going to vomit.

“No, no, no,” Lucifer said firmly, as if he could will it not to be true.  “No.  Dad cannot be missing.”

“I’m sure they’ll find him --” Chloe began, but he cut her off with a frantic wave of his hand.

“Do you know what this means?”  Taking a deep breath, he said, “It means he’s coming after me.”

“Lucifer, no --”

“Yes!  What else could it be?!”  


“Stop jumping to conclusions!” his wife said.  “Take a deep breath.  Maybe he just took a walk --”

“No,” he said as he waggled his finger, his eyes dark and intense.  “If he’s missing, then that bastard must have regained his sanity, which means he’s lost his compassion.  He wants revenge -- there’s no doubt about that.”

“I’m sure that’s not it,” Chloe said, at the same time his brother rolled his eyes and said, “Oh come on --”

“No!  It all makes sense!”  Lucifer cried, pacing agitatedly before going to the bar and pouring himself a large glass of Scotch, as his wife and brother followed.  “Don’t you see?  It’s like the time when Mum got out of Hell --”

“She went after you because you locked her up,” Raphael said.  “This is different.”

“You’re right --it’s worse!” howled his fallen brother, then downed the alcohol in one pull.  “I threw his favorite son, Michael, into Hell.  I ruined all of his bloody plans.  I destroyed the Northern Edge.  I led a rebellion against him.  Bloody hell, I even led a demon insurrection against him!   _ My wife drove him mad!” _

“He does have a point,” Chloe said softly to Raphael, after a long pause.  


The healer shook his head.  “I’m sure it’s not the case.  Maybe Zerachiel forgot to lock the door, and Father just... wandered out.  Why don’t you come home with me?  We can find out exactly what happened.”

“No.  I have to get my family safe,” Lucifer said, his movements beginning to take on a frenetic edge as he started striding toward the bedroom, then faltered, as if unsure what to do first.  “Safe.  Where the bloody hell would safe be?”

Distress filled Chloe at the sight of her husband panicking, his eyes darting left and right with nervousness.  Walking over to him, she took a gentle hold of his upper arms and gave him a little shake.  “Calm down.  Let’s find out the facts first, okay?”

Lucifer stared deep into her eyes, fearing that Chloe was just humoring him.  “I’m not paranoid,” he insisted as he backed out of her grip.  “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“I think we need to review all the facts before coming to any conclusions,” she said with a sigh.  “I’m a cop.  It’s what I do.”  Reaching out again, she pulled Lucifer into her arms and gave him a hug.  “Don’t worry, husband.  We’ll get to the bottom of this.  In the meantime, go with Rafe.  Find out exactly what happened.”  


For a long moment he just stared at his wife before his eyes lost their fearful look, but his hands were surprisingly cold when they gently cupped her face so that he could kiss her.  It worried Chloe, for Lucifer was usually hot, like a blast furnace.  Reaching up, she held his hands in hers in an effort to warm them up.  “I’m here for you, Lucifer.”

He nodded, his dark eyes looking troubled.  “I know, but....”

“But?”

Biting his lower lip, he finally shook his head and laughed with a toss of his head, the old Lucifer confidence finally coming to the fore.  “Right.  Bloody hell, the mad old bugger is probably just hiding under a table or something.”  Whipping off his shirt, he tossed it onto the bar counter and headed over to his brother.  “Come on, Rafe.  Let’s go find out what’s going on.”

Raphael shot Chloe a worried glance, but she gave a little nod, signalling it was all right.  At least she hoped so, as she watched Lucifer shake out his wings.  


“Lucifer --”

“Tell Beatrice I had to step out, love.  I’ll finish cooking later -- be back before you know it.”

And with that, both angels took off for Heaven.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Bloody pricks, the lot of them.

Lucifer sat on a nearby chair, his elbow planted on his thigh as he propped up his head on his hand and glared at the group of idiot angels in front of him.  The dais that once held his father’s throne had been removed, leaving only a long table where the nine archangels sat and quarreled.  Chairs had been set up in front of the table, providing spectators a place to sit when the Council was in session.  On this day, however, there was only the Devil in the audience.

Overwhelming frustration made Lucifer want to scream as he listened to eight of his brothers and sisters argue about who was to blame.  Only Raphael leaned back in his chair, rolling his eyes and rubbing the back of his neck.  


Rafe was the only one who had any bloody sense, the fallen angel thought.  When had his siblings gotten to be so... stupid?  Or had they always been, and he just never noticed?  Well, he  _ had _ been in Hell for quite a while.  Maybe Heaven was what had made them all into prats...?

When all the yelling and accusing got to be too much for him, he finally stood up and bellowed at the top of his lungs, “Shut up, you bloody pillocks!”

Eight of the angels turned to gape at him, while Rafe -- that sod -- laughed behind his hand.  That idiot had probably been waiting for him to do the dirty work and get the damned Council under control.  Prick.

“Now then, can we please have some order?  Bloody hell, even the demon kings are better behaved than you lot!”

“You shouldn’t even be here,” the self-proclaimed leader to the Council -- Barachiel -- snapped.  “Why did Raphael even allow you to come?”

“Because I’m a bloody archangel -- or was, before I Fell -- and if anyone should be here, it should be  _ me, _ since I’m the one Dad’ll likely go after if he’s looking for revenge!”  Lucifer glared at his brothers and sisters before standing up and pacing in front of the table at which they sat.  “Now can someone please tell me what exactly had happened?”

Deathly silence answered him.

“Oh for Hell’s sake,” he muttered before he pointed a finger at Zerachiel.  “You!  Bloody Zed!  What happened?”

The large angel stood up, and said in a shaky voice, “I went to his solar to give my usual report, and he was gone.”

“Yes, yes,” Lucifer said, waving Zerachiel’s statement aside.  “We all know that.  But how did he get out?  The bloody window?”

“The door was ajar.”

“Is it usually locked?”

“Yes, from the outside, since we can’t trust Father.  He’s pretty... insane.”

Ah, now he was getting somewhere. Chloe would be so proud of his interrogation skills!  Nodding, Lucifer said, “So someone let him out.  Now what reason would anyone have for releasing --”

“This is ridiculous!” Barachiel yelled.  “You’re paranoid, and making the rest of us paranoid!  Zerachiel probably forgot to lock the door --”

“No, I’d never forget,” the large angel snapped.  “Father is my responsibility.  I would never shirk my duty!”

“Well apparently you  _ did _ shirk your duty, because he’s missing!” accused another angel, Jegudiel.

And that started a whole new round of arguing, which gave Lucifer a headache.  Rubbing his forehead with his hand, he chanced a glance at Raphael.  The healer was looking just as frustrated as his fallen brother.  The Devil pointed toward the exit, and the two of them left the throne room while their siblings continued to attack each other.

“What a bunch of pricks,” Lucifer muttered.

“I agree with you this time,” Raphael said.  “Look, there’s no sense in you getting in the middle of this nonsense.  I’m sorry there isn’t more information.  I’ll keep you posted if anything new develops.  In the meantime, can you keep an eye open on Earth, in case Father happens to pop up?”

A grim smile lit the fallen angel’s face.  “You mean if he comes gunning for me?  I’ll be sure to let you know, if he doesn’t kill me first.”

“He’s not gunning for you,” Raphael said, rolling his eyes.  “But do keep an eye out, okay?”

Lucifer nodded before taking off for home.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

The sight of Chloe waiting on the balcony for him filled Lucifer with warmth.  As he landed beside her, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him passionately.  That certainly helped calm the fear and worry building up within him.

“What did you find out?” his wife asked as he folded his wings and walked into the flat with his arm around her waist.

“Nothing, except that my siblings are _ still _ a bunch of sodding idiots!  Bloody hell, nine -- well, eight, Rafe doesn’t count -- archangels, the best of the best, and they can’t even figure out how to screw in a single bloody light bulb,” he snapped, shaking his head.  With a sigh, he continued in a quieter tone: “No one knows where Dad is, but apparently someone let him out.”

“Who?  And why?”

“No one knows.  They’re too busy accusing each other of being negligent.”

Lucifer reached for the shirt he had left on the bar counter and slung it on. Easing her husband’s fingers away from the material, Chloe stepped in and buttoned it for him as she looked at his worried face.

“Talk to me,” she said simply. 

“It doesn’t make any sense.”  Like an old man Lucifer walked over and lowered himself into his armchair.  Rubbing his forehead, he asked, “Why would anyone let the mad bugger out?  And where could he be now?  He could be anywhere -- Heaven, Hell.... here....”  


As he pondered in silence, Chloe sat across from him on the couch and said, “Look, before you start panicking, let’s wait and see if he’s found.  Maybe he’s just wandering around in Heaven.”

“No, my lovely wife, I fear it’s far more nefarious than that.”  Suspicion glinted in the fallen angel’s eyes.  “Everyone knows what Dad looks like.  Bloody hell, he’s _ Dad. _  If he was just randomly wandering around, someone would have found him quickly.  No... there’s some foul play at work here, but I just can’t figure out....”  His voice petered out as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

Chloe’s detective instincts jumped to the fore at his words.  She wasn’t sure if he was just being incredibly paranoid, but he seemed so sure....  And when it came right down to it, she trusted her husband’s gut instincts.  “Okay, let’s go over everything then.  One at a time.  Is there anyone who might have a reason to harm your father?”

His shoulders slumped.  “Me.”

Sighing, she asked, “Anyone else?”

Lucifer thought hard.  “No, not that I can think of.”

“Okay.  What about anyone who might want to take him somewhere, without bothering to tell anyone?”

“No.”

“Is there anywhere your father talked about a lot?  Somewhere he might like to go to be alone?”

“No.  Not... not that I know of.”

“Okay.  Has there been anyone who’s been unhappy about the way things have been running since he’s been... incapacitated?”

“I... don’t know.”

“We’ll ask Rafe that, the next time we see him.”  Chloe stared hard at her husband.  “Can you think of any reason why someone might want your father... loose?”

Pulling on the back of his neck in frustration, the fallen angel shook his head.  “No.”  Looking up at her, his eyes glinting red, he said, “But bloody hell, Detective!  Something’s wrong, I can feel it!  My instincts are not wrong on this!”

Making her way over to the armchair, she kneeled down beside him, giving his arm a squeeze as she said, “I know.  I believe you, husband, you know I do.  If he were to come to Earth, are you positive Los Angeles is where he would come?”

Dark, worried eyes met her aqua ones.  “Positive, love.  If he’s on Earth, he’ll come for me.”

Lucifer’s anxiety worried Chloe to no end.  He was going to drive himself crazy, at this rate.  She knew, though, that he had good reason to be fearful, for she remembered Yahweh’s cruelty toward his own son.  Leaning over, she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“Okay.  I’ll check with the hospitals and homeless shelters tomorrow for any new admissions when I go to work.  Don’t worry, Lucifer.  If he’s here in LA and still as mad as everyone seems to think he is, we’ll find him.”

 


	4. Rising Tensions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A huge thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme, whose wonderful editing skills and recommendation of an Oingo Boingo song helped make this chapter shine!

 

 

Searches of the hospitals and homeless shelters turned up nothing.

Days passed, which wound Lucifer’s anxiety higher and higher.  The mystery of his missing father was driving him crazy.  Figuring Mad Dad wouldn’t have enough sanity to hole up in a hotel or anything fancy like that, he found himself wandering the streets of Los Angeles, especially Skid Row, where the homeless people gathered.  A few times he thought he saw his father, only to find himself mistaken.

He kept an eye open for strangers in LUX, as well.  Usually he wove in and out among the patrons, treating them to drinks and dancing with them, but he found himself too tense to be very good company.  So, like a hawk, he stood on the mezzanine and studied the club below him with sharp eyes... for hours.  It started to creep Maze out; she finally cornered him when he wandered to the bar for a drink.

“What the hell is going on with you?” she snarled.

Glancing up at his demon as he poured himself a large glass of Scotch, he said, “Dad’s missing.”

“What do you mean, missing?”

“I mean missing, my dear Maze.  Gone.  Unaccounted for.  AWOL.”

For a long moment she just stared at him, before she waved to her boyfriend across the club.  Amenadiel jogged up, glancing from his girlfriend to his brother and back again.  “What’s up?” he asked.

“Lucifer says your dad’s gone missing.”

Amenadiel stared at him.  “What do you mean, missing?”

Heaving a big sigh, Lucifer downed his drink before answering.  “He’s missing.  No one knows where the mad bugger is.”

His brother gaped at him until he finally found his voice and asked, “W-when did this happen?”

“Saturday last.”

Lucifer suddenly found himself pulled up close to a snarling Amenadiel as the angel grabbed his jacket lapels in his fists.  “And you tell me this _now?!_ Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!”

“Please, watch the suit!” the Devil admonished as he brushed his angry brother’s hands away from him.  “And yes, I didn’t see the point, seeing as how no one knows where he is.”

Amenadiel’s fist slammed into his face; Lucifer fell to the floor with a crash.  A collective gasp went up around the club as patrons either made room for the two men or hurriedly left.  Smiling grimly, the fallen angel pulled himself to his feet.  He had wanted something to take his mind off his missing dad, and Amenadiel was kindly giving it to him.  Splendid!

“You ass! You should have told me!” his brother yelled as Lucifer wiped the blood from his mouth.

Giving his brother a wolfish grin, the fallen angel said, “Come on, bro -- let’s have at it, then!” and shoved the angel hard into the bar.  Maze easily avoided her boyfriend’s falling body, smirking at the violence.

_“Stop it!”_

Chloe’s voice boomed across the room, and the spectators instantly parted for the detective just coming down the stairs.  Pushing her way to the two men, she glared at the both of them.

“I mean, really!  You two are just like children -- I can’t leave either one of you alone for one second!” she snapped.  Her eyes flashing angrily, she snapped, “Now what started this?”

Amenadiel snarled, “He didn’t tell me Father was missing.”

“Well, you didn’t ask,” Lucifer defended himself with a lift of his chin.

“How the hell was I supposed to ask when I didn’t know that he was missing?!”

“Shut up!” she yelled.  Rounding on her husband, she poked his chest with an accusatory finger.  “You were supposed to tell him last Sunday!  What the hell, Lucifer?!”

Oh her fire!  It never ceased to thrill him!  Bright passion flared within him, burning him to the bone, making him reach for her excitedly.  She batted his hands away angrily, but that just inflamed him even more.

Seeing the building arousal in Lucifer’s face, she slapped him -- hard.  His head snapped back before he turned disbelieving eyes toward her.  “Bloody hell, Detective!” he cried, holding his stinging cheek.

“Behave, you ass!” she snarled before turning to Amenadiel.  “I’m really sorry.  He was supposed to tell you --”

“It’s okay, Chloe,” the angel said with a smug look on his face.  “It was worth it just to see you wipe that smirk off his face.”

Maze suddenly vaulted over the bar, landing in front of her boyfriend.  Grabbing him by his shirt, she gave him a feral kiss that had Chloe looking away and Lucifer watching with fascination.  “Patrick!” the demon yelled out as she dragged Amenadiel toward a dark corner of the club.  “Take over for me, will you?”  Then, to the angel: “Come on, give me some of that fire, you beast!”

“Show’s over!” Chloe announced in a loud voice as she grabbed her husband’s arm and started tugging him toward the elevator.  “Come on, you troublemaker,” she growled angrily.

A huge grin split the fallen angel’s face.  “With pleasure!”

“Dammit, Lucifer!  I come home late from work and find you fighting with your brother!” she snapped as they entered the elevator car.  As the doors closed, she continued, “I mean, seriously, can’t you behave for -- mmph!”

Lucifer cut her off with a deep kiss, pulling her tight in her arms as the elevator shot upwards toward the penthouse, his hands playing her body like a maestro at the piano.  In seconds Chloe found herself moaning helplessly from all the sensations he made her feel.  A raging inferno of desire ignited within her, and she kissed him back just as passionately.

They barely made it out of the elevator before they fell on the floor, tearing at each other’s clothes, unable to get enough of each other.

“Whoa!  Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Christie the babysitter cried as she and Trixie stared at the entwined couple on the floor.  Belatedly the teenager covered the little girl’s eyes.  Christie’s distress immediately killed the desire in Chloe -- damn, they had forgotten...!  As the blonde woman struggled to her feet, Lucifer groaned with dismay and threw an arm over his eyes before he, too, stood up.

“Oh... uh... sorry about that,” Chloe said, her face red with embarrassment as she tried to straighten her mussed hair and clothes.  “Uhhh, how much do we owe you?”

“Never mind that, here,” Lucifer said as he handed the girl a hundred dollar bill after he adjusted his clothes and ran a hand through his hair.  “Off you pop.”

Trixie grinned at the both of them as the babysitter hurriedly left.  “You two are funny!”

“Yes, monkey, I suppose we are,” Chloe said, clearing her throat.

“Were you and Lucifer playing a game?”

Laughing nervously, her mother said, “Yes.  Yes, you could say that.”

Before the little girl could say anything more, Lucifer approached her and said, “Listen, child, there’s cash in it for you if you go to your room for the rest of the night.”

“Lucifer!” Chloe scolded as Trixie snatched the two twenties the fallen angel was holding out to her.

“Goodnight, Mommy!  Goodnight, Lucifer!” the little girl cried and ran off, slamming her bedroom door with a bang.

“We really need to talk,” she growled at him, which only inflamed his desire even more.

“Really, my dear?  I know the perfect place to have a discussion,” he said as he swept her up in his arms and carried her to their bed.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

“Bloody hell, wife, I think you’ve just about killed me,” Lucifer gasped hours later.  “What the... I can’t believe....  I’ve never --”

Chloe laughed.  “It’s the raging hormones....  Sorry, dear.”

“Oh no, don’t apologize,” he rumbled in a sensuous voice as he eyed her hungrily.  “I’d kill to have that kind of sex for the rest of our lives!”

“Not unless you want me pregnant for the rest of our lives,” she joked.

Lucifer gazed at his wife through half-closed lids, his face a study in desire.  “I think that can be arranged, my dear.”

“Really?  So you wouldn’t mind my bad temper?”

He grinned.  “I find your fire quite arousing, love.”

“What about the morning sickness?  The weird cravings?”

The excited smile faded from the fallen angel’s face.  “Well....”

Chloe was just getting started.  “The multitude of kids we’d end up having?  And remember, you’d have to help take care of them all....”

“Bloody hell,” he groaned and turned away.  “You’ve destroyed my sex drive.”

Her laughter rang through the room as she pressed herself against his back and wrapped her arms around his waist.  “Aww, don’t be like that,” she whispered.  “I’ll make it up to you.”

Lucifer perked up at that as he turned to take her into his arms.  “Really?  Lovely!  You have my attention....”

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

“So when are you coming home today, love?” Lucifer asked the next morning as he propped himself up on the bed and watched Chloe get dressed.  He loved seeing her put on her clothes.  He wasn’t sure why -- perhaps because it was always so exciting taking them off of her?  Or perhaps it was because he saw something sexual in everything she did?  Or maybe because he just... loved her...?

She hardly gave him a glance as she pulled the shirt over her head and tugged it in place.  “Not too late.  I’ll pick up Trixie tonight -- she’s got that special afterschool art class today.  She gets out at 4:30 so we’ll probably be home between 5 and 5:30, depending on if she drags her feet coming out.”

“Oh, an early night!  Splendid!” Lucifer said gleefully as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

Chloe chuckled at his happy expression as she stopped in front of him.  “Why, Mister Morningstar?  You have plans?”

“My dear, the Devil always has plans,” he said as he rose to his feet and embraced her.  Nuzzling her neck, he let his hands roam over her body before he kissed her.  “Early night means we get to spend more time in bed....”

Although she rolled her eyes, she grinned.  “Don’t you ever think of anything else?”

“Should I?” he asked innocently as he linked his arms around her waist.

“Yes, you should think about making breakfast instead of seducing me!” Chloe laughed as she pulled away.  Grabbing his robe, Lucifer hurriedly shrugged it on and followed his wife as she hollered for her daughter.  “Trixie!  We’re going to be late!  Are you up?”

Fifteen minutes later, watching the little one and his wife guzzle down omelettes and toast, Lucifer couldn’t help but wonder if his father had felt the same sort of... contentment and pride that he felt when he looked at his happy little family.  Did his father ever have any feelings for his children?  Or had he just seen them merely as tools to be used?

And where the bloody hell had those thoughts come from?  He shook his head to clear it, and turned instead to his family.  They were getting ready to leave, which always depressed him.  He would have preferred to go with them, but some days, like today, he had bloody boring management decisions to make at LUX.  He always hated those days.

Giving his wife a passionate kiss and the little one a big hug, he saw them off at the elevator before taking a shower, changing into his clothes and heading down to the club for his bloody boring work.  The upside was that if he could get all of this done while they were gone, then they could have a whole uninterrupted evening together!

So he got his work done as fast as he could, and when 4:45 rolled around, he headed upstairs to get ready for his family’s return.  He figured they could go somewhere nice for dinner -- he’d make reservations at that lovely French restaurant! -- and then they could come home and watch a movie together, or perhaps play Scrabble.  The little one did like that, although she constantly laughed at the words he came up with, while his wife accused him of cheating.  Still, it made his insides feel warm with happiness and brought a smile to his lips.  What could be better?

Sitting down at his piano while he waited for them to arrive, he started playing a quiet tune -- the theme from Field of Dreams.  Halfway into the piece, he stopped.  Bloody hell, why was he playing that?  A piece from a movie about baseball and... dads?  Ugh.  There was definitely something wrong with him.

Trying for something more lighthearted, he played a rousing rendition of Oingo Boingo’s “Insanity.”  That was better!  He was in the middle of belting out the chorus when he heard the soft ding of the elevator.  Ah!  Chloe and the little one were home!  With a smile, he immediately stopped and turned, a smile on his face -- which immediately faded.

His father stood in front of the elevator doors, looking around with wonder.

 


	5. Mad Dad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super-huge thank you to my wonderful beta, ScooterThyme! You make my work shine!

 

 

“Dad?”

Lucifer stared at the old man standing just outside the elevator.  He didn’t look anything like the father he remembered.  The man’s hair was long, scraggly, and white -- his father’s hair had been iron gray, neatly trimmed.  His beard had grown out; gone was his well-groomed appearance.  He was still wearing his robes, but they were dirty and torn.  The tall, dignified man Lucifer remembered from his youth was gone.  Instead a shell of the man he had once known stood before him.

“Samael?” Yahweh said in a feeble voice, and took a step toward his son.  Then, without warning, he started screaming as he turned and pounded on the closed elevator doors.

“Dad!  Dad!”  Lucifer cried as he rushed to his father and tried to get him to stop the pounding.  “Dad, please!”

Yahweh slowly turned to look into his son’s eyes, and for a split second Lucifer could have sworn he saw sanity there, before madness replaced it.  The old man tore out of his grasp and dashed frantically into the flat.

“Dad!”

The fallen angel went scrambling after his father as the old man rounded the piano, took off for the armchair and hid behind it.  With wary eyes, Yahweh peeked over the top of his makeshift barricade and watched his son approach.  When the fallen angel got too close, the old man went running like mad around the armchair, avoiding his son’s arms, and leaped over the back of the couch to hide there.

Lucifer stared at the madman peeking at him from over the top of the couch and sighed.  Well, obviously his father hadn’t come to kill him.  He didn’t know why Mad Dad had even sought him out!  Placing his arms on his hips, he cocked his head at his father and studied him silently.

Yahweh blinked at him, watching him like a scared, hunted animal.

“Dad,” Lucifer began, but the sound of his voice caused his father to dash over and run into the master bedroom.  “Dad!”

Chasing after the old man, the Devil found that Yahweh had locked himself in the master closet.  Running a frustrated hand over his face, Lucifer wondered why his father had come to see him, when he was so afraid of him.  It didn’t make sense.  Although he wanted to take care of this problem before his family came home, another part wished for his wife’s calming presence.  Maybe  _ she _ could talk some sense into the old man.

Then again, maybe not.  She  _ had  _ driven him mad....

Walking up to the door, Lucifer placed a hand on the wood panel and said softly, “Dad, I know you’re in there.”

Silence.

“Look, Dad, why are you here?  At least answer me that.”

Nothing.

Lucifer placed an ear against the door, straining to hear... anything.  He could barely make out the sound of heavy panting, and... scratching?

Frustration started filtering into his voice as he tried again.  “Bloody hell, Dad!  You can’t just barge in here and then hide in my closet!  Open the door!”

Listening again, he heard the familiar sound of hangers being jostled.

“Dad, you better not be wearing my Prada!” he warned.  Heaving a big sigh, he complained, “Oh, come on, Dad!  Please, will you just open the bloody door, you sod?”  A horrifying thought occurred to him.  “Buggeration!  You -- you aren’t trying on my wife’s clothes, are you?!  Because if you are, I’ll never forgive you -- especially if it’s the red flirty dress that I like her in!”

“What are you doing?”

Chloe’s voice had him jumping a mile high, like a startled cat.  Whirling around, Lucifer saw his wife standing with Trixie in the master bedroom, staring at him.  When had they come in?  He had been concentrating so hard on his father that he hadn’t heard the elevator doors open in the other room.

“Right.  Ah...”  Wincing, he said, “I know this looks bad --”

Chloe gave him a narrow-eyed look.  “Are you letting someone try on my clothes?!”

Usually her ire would send him into such a state of arousal that he’d be leaping over furniture to get to her and kiss her senseless, but this wasn’t a usual day.  Nervously, he glanced at the closet door, then back at his wife.  “Ah, wouldn’t... wouldn’t the child like to go into the other room?”

Trixie broke into a grin, sensing a situation that was sure to be interesting.  “No, I’m fine here.”

Lucifer glared at the little girl with an annoyed, wide-eyed look, which only made the little spawn laugh.  Apparently his intimidation skills were sorely lacking... which was a sad admission for the Devil to make.  Rubbing his forehead in frustration, he said, “It’s my dad.”

For a long moment Chloe just stared at him, then as his words sunk in, she said disbelievingly, “Your dad is here?!  Trying on  _ my clothes?!” _

“What?  No!  I mean... well...  I don’t know.”  His voice petered out unhappily.  “Bloody hell, Detective, I have no idea what he’s doing in there.”

With a roll of her eyes, Chloe approached and pushed her husband aside.  Knocking on the door, she called out, “Yahweh?  Can you please open the door?”

Nothing.

She tried the door, but it was locked.  “Yahweh, no one’s going to hurt you.  Can you please open the door?”

Still nothing.

While Chloe tried to negotiate with the god, Trixie made her way over to Lucifer’s side and tugged on his arm.  “Your dad is in there?” she asked.

The fallen angel nodded, his face full of unhappiness.

Trixie smiled.  “God’s in there?  Really?  In our penthouse?  That’s so cool!”  Rushing over to her mother’s side, she asked, “Mommy, can I try?”

Chloe leaned down.  “No, baby.  He’s... he wasn’t a good man before.  I don’t want him hurting you.”

The little girl lifted her chin confidently.  “He’s Lucifer’s dad.  He won’t hurt me.”

Nervously, her mother shot a glance at Lucifer, who shook his head fiercely.

“I can do it,” Trixie insisted.  “Let me try!  Please, Mommy?”

Uncertainty crossed Chloe’s face before she bit her lower lip and nodded, while Lucifer rolled his eyes and flung up his hands.  “Okay, baby, but be careful, okay?  Remember, he’s a god.”

“Okay!” Trixie said before knocking on the door.  “Grandfather Morningstar!  It’s me, Trixie!  I’m Lucifer’s daughter -- your granddaughter!”

At the little girl’s statement, Lucifer felt a rush of pride and warmth rush through him.  The child considered herself his daughter?  His heart felt near to bursting... and he wasn’t sure why.  Didn’t he dislike all children? But Beatrice had always been different....  He had never imagined how it would feel to have a daughter.  A part of him was so touched that he wanted to burst into tears at the little girl’s words, but he quickly suppressed the feeling and gave a manly frown instead.

The sound of the door unlocking had Lucifer standing straight with attention.  His dad was going to open the door?  His first impulse was to rush over, kick the door open and shake the old bugger senseless, but he was curious to see how things would play out, so he forced himself to wait.

As the fallen angel watched, his father slowly peeked through the slit of the open door with eyes that grew wide at the sight of the little girl.  Trixie smiled at him and waved.  The door opened wider, until Yahweh could be seen, still in his robes, sitting on the ground and staring at the girl.

“You... you’re my granddaughter?” he asked.

“Well, yeah,” she said.  “You’re Lucifer’s dad, right?  He married my mom, so that makes you my grandfather.  Can I call you Grandpa?”

“Lucifer married your mother?” Yahweh asked, staring intently at the little girl and not sparing a glance at the adults.  “You’re Samael’s daughter?”

A confused look crossed Trixie’s face.  “Who’s Samael?”

“My... son.”  For the first time, the old man glanced at Lucifer.  The fallen angel feared his father would start screaming again, but instead he returned his gaze to the little girl.  “You’re his daughter?”

“Well, by marriage.  My real dad is in jail.”

“Oh.”

Trixie squinted at the old man, then smiled.  “Lucifer looks like you!” she said gleefully.  “Except you need to get cleaned up.  Can I brush your hair?”  Without waiting for an answer, she raced over to grab Lucifer’s comb from a drawer, then entered the closet.  Taking a stand behind the old man, she started gently combing his hair.  Surprisingly, Yahweh let her, his eyes still confused and a little surprised.

Lucifer made his way over to his wife.  “Right.  I’m throwing that comb away after they’re done with it,” he whispered.

Chloe only elbowed him.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

A little while later, Yahweh was neatly cleaned up, looking more like the father Lucifer remembered.  Trixie had done a good job, cutting his hair and trimming his beard -- she pretty much played dress-up with the god.  He now wore his son’s best Armani trousers and dress shirt -- which had Lucifer grimacing -- while Chloe threw his robes in the washing machine.

Lucifer shook his head at his father sitting next to Trixie on the living room floor as they played Molly McDowell.  The god seemed calm enough as long as Trixie was close by, but if she stepped away even for a moment -- like when she went to fetch some clothes for him -- Yahweh would suddenly start screeching like the end of the world was near.  Neither Lucifer nor Chloe could get anywhere near him -- which was understandable, since Lucifer was, well, Lucifer, and Chloe had driven him mad.  Trixie was the only one Yahweh let near him.

Walking up beside her husband, Chloe wrapped around an arm around his waist while she leaned against him.  Reaching over, Lucifer pulled her close and kissed her hair.

“What do you think?” she asked as they both looked at the pair on the floor.

“I don’t know, love.  It’s... odd, seeing him like this.”  Puzzled, he glanced down at his wife and said, “I don’t understand why he’s here, if not to kill us.”

“Maybe... maybe he just wanted to see you...?” she suggested.

“Mm.  Maybe.”  But Lucifer wasn’t so sure.  Yahweh had never wanted to see him before.  Having been burned by Yahweh in the past, he no longer trusted his father.  After all, look where that had landed him -- in Hell!  What if this was all some trick to get close to him, to find out his weakness, then exploit it?  What if he was here to kidnap Beatrice?

Narrowing his eyes, he set his jaw and said, “Right.  Let’s see if we can get some answers from mad old Dad.”

Pulling Chloe along, he walked over to Yahweh and Trixie.  Sitting his wife down on the couch before taking a place beside her, he cleared his throat to catch the little girl’s attention.  Looking up, Trixie grinned at the two of them.

“Grandpa didn’t know who Molly McDowell was.  Can you imagine?”  She giggled.

Smiling at her daughter, Chloe said, “Well, I don’t think he’s up on all the latest toys.”  She paused for a moment before continuing.  “Um, Trixie, do you think you can help us ask him some questions?”

“Sure.”  Turning to the old man who wasn’t paying attention to the two adults, she tugged on his shirt and said, “Hey, Grandpa, Lucifer and Mommy want to ask you some questions.”

Yahweh slowly turned his head and gazed at them.  His son was surprised to see how blank his father’s eyes were.  Strangely, the sight scared him.  Treating the god like a skittish animal, he said gently, “Hello, Dad.  Do you remember me?”

The old man only stared at him.

With a sigh, he continued, “Right.  Can you at least tell us why you’re here?”

Trixie tapped Yahweh on the shoulder, getting his attention.  Smiling at him encouragingly, she said, “It’s okay, Grandpa.”

The old man looked back at his son with fear reflected in his eyes.  “They... they are trying to kill me,” he whispered as horror made its way onto his face.

Her brows furrowed, Chloe leaned forward and asked, “Who?”

Big tears started to fall from Yahweh’s eyes.  “My children.”

 


	6. Tapping into a Mad Mind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very big thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme! You ROCK!

 

 

“Your children are trying to kill you?” Lucifer asked, before a harsh, bitter laugh escaped him.  “You’re joking, right?”

His father didn’t answer; instead he started weeping piteously.  The fallen angel just stared at him.  Had he heard right?  His siblings were trying to kill Dad?  No....  That couldn’t be. _He_ was the only one who had any reason to kill the mad bastard.  After all _he_ was the one Dad threw into Hell, no one else.   _He_ was the one whose good name was maligned, all so that Yahweh could gather more followers.  No, his brothers and sisters had gotten to live the good life in Heaven, with Dad’s approval.  Lucifer had been the scapegoat -- no one else.

Shaking his head, he muttered with disgust, “He’s far more mad than I had imagined.”  Raising his voice, he said, “Bloody hell, _they_ have no reason to want to harm you, whereas _I,_ on the other hand --”

Chloe shot him a warning look.  “You’re not helping, Lucifer.”

Biting the inside of his cheek, he looked away with a sulky look and crossed his arms in front of his chest.  Meanwhile, Trixie gave Yahweh a hug as Chloe asked him very gently, “What makes you say your children are trying to kill you?”

Sniffing as he wiped his nose on his sleeve -- which had Lucifer cringing at the sad fate of his best dress shirt being used as a tissue -- the old man answered, “Because they kidnapped me.”

The fallen angel sat up straight at that.  “What?!”

Cowering at his son’s tone, Yahweh started sobbing harder, hugging Trixie as he did so.  The little girl petted his head, trying to impart comfort.  “It’s okay, Grandpa,” she said.  “No one’s going to hurt you here.”

“That’s right, Yahweh,” her mother added, her eyes kind as the god glanced back at her.  Very slowly she made her way to his side, and kneeled on the floor beside him.  “You’re safe here.  It’s okay.”

“You....  I remember you,” he said, staring hard at her.  “You... you’re the Old God.”

“That’s right, I am,” Chloe said.  Catching her daughter’s surprised look, she told her, “I’ll explain later.”

“You... you changed me.”  Oddly, Yahweh said it almost calmly, as if he was someone else.

“I’m sorry for that.”  Sighing, she said, “It was never my intention to... well....  I’m sorry.”

“You made me think of everything I had done to Samael and all my children.  I could feel their pain.”  A howl of despair escaped him as he started yanking his hair.  “What have I done?   _What have I done?!”_

Another deluge of tears started to flow from the god’s eyes, and it took all of Chloe’s and Trixie’s comforting to calm him down.  Still, it was a good fifteen minutes before he was coherent again.  His voice watery and shaky, Yahweh finally continued, “I plotted to kill my own children who tried to rebel against me... my poor children who just wanted the truth....  I pitted brother against brother.   Brother against sister....  Samael against his own mother....”  Ugly sobs escaped him; like a howler monkey, his weeping grew louder and louder.  “I’m a horrible father!  Horrible!  I should be sent to Hell!”

“That could be arranged,” Lucifer muttered, which earned him another dark look from his wife.  He couldn’t help it, though -- he had lived through millennia of Hell because of his father.  A part of him didn’t trust this new, weepy, touchy-feely god.  Too much anger and bitterness burned inside him to be cured by a simple, “I’m sorry.”

“Look, can you tell us who kidnapped you?” Chloe asked, her police instincts coming to the fore.  Biting his quivering lower lip, the god only shook his head.  Big tears started spilling from his eyes once again.

“It’s okay,” she soothed.  “What do you remember?  Do you remember anything?”

Yahweh only shook his head and howled.

“Bloody hell!” Lucifer snapped as he covered his ears.

“Grandpa, you have to stop screaming!” Trixie cried over the wails as she also covered her ears.  But the god did not desist -- if anything, his screeches only grew louder.

“Lucifer, maybe you can order some pizza or something?” Chloe yelled over the noise.  “Maybe food will help calm him down!”

“With pleasure!” he hollered back as he rose and headed to the furthest possible room to make the call.  The noise was still ear-piercing, but tolerable.  He hoped that his wife and her daughter could stop his father’s bloody screaming soon.

Half an hour later the screaming finally stopped, and just in the nick of time -- the pizza had arrived.  Breathing a sigh of relief, Lucifer threw a hundred dollar bill at the delivery guy before placing the boxes on the bar counter.  Almost fearfully, he stole a peek into the living room.  Yahweh was sitting on the couch, with Trixie on one side of him, and Chloe on the other.  Surprisingly, the god had a hand on Chloe’s stomach.

“There, did you feel that?” his wife asked.  “That’s the baby.  Your other grandchild.”

Yahweh’s mouth made a very large “O” as he stared at her.  “But... Nephilim?”

She shook her head.  “We hope not.”  Catching a glimpse of her husband, she motioned Lucifer over.  As he approached, she mouthed, “He seems better.”

“Are you sure that’s wise, love?” he asked quietly, agitatedly pointing at his father’s hand.

She shrugged.  “Your siblings are going to find out eventually, anyway.  At least this way, he feels some bond with the baby, which might be better in the long run.”

Lucifer sniffed, his mouth twisting with doubt.  “If you say so, love.”  Leaning close to his wife’s ear, he asked, “Has he said anything more about the kidnapping?”

Chloe shook her head.  “Not a word.  We just got him calmed down -- I’m afraid to start asking him questions again.”

“Hm.  Maybe we need help with this one.”  He strode to the elevator.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“Going to talk to our favorite cell phone brother, love.  Be back in a jiff,” Lucifer called out as the doors closed on him.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Lucifer banged on Amenadiel’s apartment door non-stop, hoping that his brother would answer.  The Devil knew the angel and demon were in there -- bloody hell, those two were insanely loud at times.  Of course, they had nothing on the detective -- he could make her scream in ecstasy like a banshee!  Well, when she wasn’t doing the same to him....

The door whipped open so fast, Lucifer almost ended up pounding on Amenadiel’s forehead, but stopped just in the nick of time.  Pasting on a charming smile, he said, “Hello, bro!”

“What.  Do.  You.  Want.” the angel snarled as his demon girlfriend yelled from somewhere behind him, “Get rid of whoever it is, sexy beast, and come pleasure me!  The whip and chains are waiting --”

“My, my,” the Devil said with a wicked grin and raised eyebrows.  “I must say, you are venturing quite far from your comfort zone.  Bravo, Amenadiel!”  The angel tried to slam the door, but his fallen brother jammed his foot and arm in the gap.  “Ah-ah-ah, not so fast!”

“Luci, so help me, if you don’t get out of here right now --”

“I’ll leave if you call Sachi for me.”

“Sachi?”  That had Amenadiel loosening his grip on the doorknob.  “What do you want with her?”

Taking a deep breath, Lucifer stared at his brother intently.  “Dad’s upstairs.”

 _“What?!”_  The frantic look on the angel’s face as he glanced at the ceiling, then into the apartment, then back at his brother had the Devil laughing almost hysterically.

“Don’t worry, Dad’s marbles are so scattered that you could be having sex with a bloody demon right in front of him, and he wouldn’t notice.”

“But --”

_“Amenadiel!”_

“Oooh, you best get going before she gets angry and punishes you,” Lucifer said with a grin.  “Just remember -- call Sachi for me!”

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Sachiel landed on the balcony just as Lucifer returned to his flat.  With a wave of his hand he beckoned her inside as he walked into the living room.  The angel was always polite, waiting to be invited in.  She used to not be like that, but she seemed to have grown more quiet in the days after returning from her two month recovery with Chloe’s brother.

She took one step inside the living room and froze at the sight of Yahweh between Chloe and Trixie on the couch.  Although her face remained as impassive as ever, her eyes darted to Lucifer as he took his customary seat in the armchair.

“Come, come,” he hollered as he waved her in.

“You found Father,” she breathed, not moving further inside.

“He found me,” Lucifer replied flippantly as he crossed his legs.  “Just appeared on my doorstep -- well, if I had a doorstep.  In the elevator, actually.”

“You called Sachiel?” Chloe asked worriedly while Trixie taught Yahweh patty cake.

“Dad’s having memory issues -- somewhat -- so I figured we could put Sachi’s skills to good use.”  Turning to his sister, he said, “How about it, Sachi?  Can you pull out a memory or two from dear old Dad?”

His sister stared at him like he had grown three heads.  Puzzled, he glanced behind him to make sure she wasn’t staring at something else, before looking back at her.  No, Sachi was still staring at him with horror.  “What?” he asked her while Chloe shot him a dark look.

“This is her father.  You shouldn’t ask her to do such things,” his wife hissed at him.

“Why not?  He asked her to do the same to me -- and you!  Well, not exactly the same, but bloody hell, you know what I mean!”  Turning to the angel he repeated, “Well?  How about it?”

Seeing that her expression had not changed, he unfolded his long frame from the armchair and walked over to her.  With a friendly arm around her shoulders, he guided her toward the couch where Yahweh sat with Chloe and Trixie.

“I know this isn’t the most... enjoyable of tasks, but it’s imperative we find out what’s going on.  Mad Dad is too far gone to be coherent.  Apparently he’s been kidnapped.”

Sachiel’s eyebrows raised.  “Kidnapped?”

“That’s why we need a peek inside his head.  He says his children are trying to kill him.”  Lucifer took the angel’s shoulders in his hands and looked straight into her eyes.  “Can you help?”  When she hesitated, he added, “I did save your life....”

Chloe rolled her eyes behind him and gave him a hard swat on his bottom, which had him leering at her with mad passion.  “Behave, Lucifer,” she warned.

“Oooh, feeling frisky, are we, my dear?” he asked his wife gleefully; she only glared at him.

Sachiel stared at her fallen brother a moment, before she said with a sigh, “I’ll try.”

“That’s my sis,” Lucifer said happily.

“Sachi, what are you going to do to Grandpa?” Trixie asked worriedly as Yahweh started moving restlessly.

The angel turned sad eyes to the little girl.  “I’m going to see if I can tap into his memories for a bit.”  Leaning down to the god, Sachiel said softly, “Hello, Father.”

Yahweh shrank away from her, pushing hard against the back of the couch.  Big tears started flowing from his eyes.  “I’m so sorry, Sachiel.  I’m so sorry!  Please, don’t hurt me!”

“I’m not going to hurt you,” she said soothingly.  “Just relax.  I just need to place my hand on your head.  It won’t hurt at all, I promise.”

When Trixie’s hand gripped the old man’s, he settled down and relaxed.  Reaching out, the dark haired angel placed a gentle hand on his forehead.  A soft, pink light started to emanate from her touch.

Everyone watched for long minutes as Sachiel stood there with her hand against her father’s forehead.  Beads of sweat formed on her face, and her brow furrowed.  Without warning her body went limp, and she collapsed in a heap on the floor.

Chloe and Trixie cried out as Lucifer jumped to catch his unconscious sister.

“Sachi!”  He kneeled beside his sister, supporting her as he looked her over.  Shooting his wife a worried look, he asked, “What happened?”

The blonde woman stared back at him in shock.  “You’re asking me?”

“Come on, love.”  Patting his sister’s cheek gently, the Devil was slowly able to bring Sachiel around.  When she opened her eyes, Lucifer was surprised to see horror in them.  “Sachi?”

The angel fought her way out of his arms and sat up, her head darting back and forth like a hunted animal.  Her breath came out in harsh pants.  Her brother reached for her, but she pulled out of his grasp and started to run, only to trip and fall onto the floor.

Chloe and Lucifer exchanged surprised glances and scrambled to their feet to help Sachiel, but Trixie was faster.  Popping up off the couch, she ran to the angel to find her weeping harsh sobs.  The little girl’s eyes were distressed as she glanced back at her parents.  Wrapping her little arms around the angel, she gave her a big hug as Chloe and Lucifer approached.  Yahweh, meanwhile pulled himself completely onto the couch and rolled up into a ball.

The sound of wings flapping caught all of their attention.  A flock of angels with black wings landed on the balcony, with Barachiel, the leader of the Council, at their head.  They stormed into the flat as if they owned the place, causing Lucifer’s hackles to rise.  The archangel took in the sight of Yahweh on the couch and shook his head grimly.

“I knew that this was where he would be,” Barachiel accused.  Turning to the Warrior Elite behind him, he ordered, “Take the Fallen One.”

 


	7. Hell in a Handbasket

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super-huge thank you to my wonderful beta, ScooterThyme! Thank you for making this chapter shine!

 

 

“What?”  For a moment Lucifer could only stare at them, dumbfounded, before he let out a disbelieving laugh.  “Surely you jest...?”

But as the angels started marching toward him, Chloe pushed her way in front of her husband and snapped, “He hasn’t done anything!”

Reaching out, the fallen angel took a hold of his wife and pushed her behind him protectively.  He’d be damned if she put herself in danger for him!  Shooting her an intense look, he cocked his head very slightly at Trixie, indicating to get the little girl and herself out of danger.  With an almost imperceptible nod, she turned to reach for Trixie, who was still embracing the weeping Sachiel.

“Don’t move, Old God!” the archangel barked.  “You probably had something to do with this, as well!”

“With what?” Lucifer said, trying to get the angel’s attention off of Chloe.  “Come on, Barachiel, this doesn’t make any sense --”

“It makes perfect sense!  You and the Old God.  Of course this is where Father would be --”

Chloe froze and turned to face Barachiel.  “What the hell are you talking about?!”

For a moment it looked like the archangel was going to answer her, but then his eyes ran over her figure and he stopped.  Long and hard he stared, before his eyes narrowed with a cunning look.  Strangely, the corner of his mouth quirked upward.  “Well.  You’re pregnant,” he said softly.  “There hasn’t been a human-angel birth since before the Flood.”  Signaling to half of the Warrior Elite behind him, he pointed to Chloe.  “Take her.”

“Bloody hell,  _ no!” _ Lucifer yelled as he rushed the angels.  Before he could even blink, they had their swords out, and started beating him with their hilts.  Lucifer cried out, trying to fight back, but the pain was incredible.  Trying desperately to minimize the injuries, he quickly covered his head and fell onto the floor, curling up into a protective ball.

_ Bloody mortality!   _ He cursed the agony flooding his body as the angel soldiers kicked and beat him.

“Lucifer!” Chloe cried, trying to reach him, but she found herself pulled away by none other than a teary-eyed Sachiel.

“No!  Run!” she said as she pushed the blonde woman toward Trixie.  “Hurry!”

Seeing the wisdom in Sachiel’s advice, Chloe grabbed her daughter’s hand and started running for the elevator.  If she could just get one flight down, she could get Amenadiel and Mazikeen to help --

The black winged angels suddenly swooped in before her, blocking her path.  Options ran through the detective’s mind in a split second.  Her best bet now was to get her gun from the bedroom.  Changing directions, she started hurrying down that way with Trixie in tow, before more angels cut her off.  They were trapped.

“Stop, stop!” Sachiel cried, pushing at the angels beating her fallen brother before grabbing Barachiel’s robes.  “You can’t do this!  I’ve been in Father’s head!  I’ll tell --”

“You talk too much,” Barachiel snarled as he grabbed a knife off of one of the soldier’s belts and thrust it into his sister’s stomach.  Sachiel stared at him, then at the knife, before a gurgle erupted from her lips.  As the archangel yanked the weapon out, everyone froze and stared.  The black-haired angel slipped to the floor, blood pouring out of her wound.

From his position on the ground, Lucifer saw his sister fall.  “Sachi!” he yelled and struggled to reach her, but the black-winged angels continued with their torment, effectively pinning him down.  “Stop, you bloody bastards!  Call Rafe!  Shite!   _ Call Rafe!” _

The angels ignored him; the other soldiers grabbed Chloe and Trixie and dragged them both to the archangel.  Barachiel spared them a glance before walking over to Lucifer and clubbing him hard on the back of his head, rendering him unconscious.  Looking up at his warriors, he said, “Take him to Hell.  I’ll be there shortly.”

After half of the Elite took flight with a limp Lucifer being dragged off by his arms, Barachiel turned to the two humans before him, then glanced at Yahweh curled up into a ball on the couch, rocking and whimpering quietly.

“Leave Trixie out of this,” Chloe snarled as she wrapped her arms protectively around her child.  “She’s just a little girl.  She doesn’t have anything to do with this.”

With cold eyes, Barachiel studied the blonde woman before him before switching his attention to the little girl.  His eyes narrowed as he slowly shook his head.  “No.  She knows too much, has seen too much.  We’ll take you both.”

Signalling to the angels around them, he said, “You know where to take them.  Take Father, as well.”

And with that, the soldiers and their prisoners took off into the sky.  Barachiel stayed behind, tapping the bloody knife against his chin contemplatively, before praying.

Within minutes, Raphael landed on the balcony.  With a sweeping glance, he took in the lack of occupants save his archangel brother, Sachiel’s prone, bleeding body, and the flat’s disarray in a split second.  He ran for his sister, but Barachiel slammed into him, knocking him to the floor, then shoved the knife against his neck.

“You’re a snake in the grass, aren’t you,” the archangel said coolly.  “I would have never suspected....”

Raphael froze, his eyes staring into the cold eyes of his brother.  “ I have no idea what you’re talking about.  Sachiel is hurt.  Let me help her --”

“No.”

“Why not?!  What in Father’s name is going on?!”

“The Old God is pregnant.  You knew about that, didn’t you?” he said.  “You must be helping them with that, for there’s no way she would go to a human doctor when she’s carrying something divine.”

“Well yes, but --”

Barachiel shoved the knife harder against his brother’s neck, drawing blood.  “You’re a complication I wasn’t expecting.”

“Are you going to kill me?” Raphael managed to ask.

His brother smirked as he hauled him to his feet.  “Not as long as you do as I say,” he said, right before he smashed his fist into the back of the healer’s head.

There was an explosion of pain, and Raphael knew no more.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Fire was what brought Lucifer to his senses.  Fire... and the horrific burning sensation that engulfed his body.  The acrid smell of burning flesh and hair.... The dusty, bitter taste of ash in his mouth, the sound of flames licking at him, eating him alive....

But mostly it was the pain -- searing pain all over.  Although his throat felt raw from the smoke and overwhelming heat, it didn’t stop him from screaming in agony.

As his body burned, his mind went to its safe place, where he could escape what was happening to him.  Thoughts of Chloe and Beatrice went through his mind as he struggled to hold onto his sanity.  His wife looking radiant with her eyes half-closed from desire and a flush on her cheeks after they had sex, Beatrice smiling widely up at him after giving him the customary hug, Chloe with eyes burning in anger as she punched him in the face....  Oh, her anger!  It set him on fire!  How he would much prefer that over the fire he was experiencing now....

No.  Don’t think about it.  Think of her.  Only her.

The love they shared.  The sacrifices she had made for him -- him!  Without even knowing him!  Her kind, gentle heart, always trying to ease his suffering.  The beautiful, heart-pounding, profound love they had for one another, their souls entwined forever....

A grunt escaped him as he finally slammed hard into the ground of Hell.  Bloody hell, he couldn’t even turn his head, he was in so much torment.  His fingers clawed at the dirt as he struggled to control his pain.  Blood and clear liquid oozed from his burns, causing the soil to cling to muscles stripped of skin.

Time had no meaning as he he just lay there, trying to control the agony and get a hold of himself.  He had to escape -- his family depended on him!  As he finally struggled to his hands and knees, soldiers flanked him, catching his arms and hauling him to his feet.  Lucifer slowly lifted his head.

Barachiel stood before him, an approving look on his face as his eyes wandered over his fallen brother’s scorched body.  “Ah, now there’s the Devil we all know and love.”

“You bloody b-bastard,” Lucifer managed to say hoarsely.  “There are better ways to g-get me down here than to have me F-Fall....”

“And what would be the fun in that?” the Council leader asked with a grin.

Shock reverberated through the fallen angel at his brother’s statement.  “Y-you sound just like d-dear old Dad....”

That made Barachiel puff out his chest with pride.  “I’m better, my dear brother.  Much better!”  Leaning forward, he asked with a chuckle, “Still haven’t figured things out, yet?”

Lucifer wasn’t sure what his brother was talking about, and he was in too much pain to really care.  Squeezing his eyes shut hard before opening them and trying his best to focus, he asked, “Chloe... Beatrice....  What... what have you done with them?”

“The Old God and the child?  I wouldn’t worry about them.  I’d worry more about  _ you.” _

“And... Dad?”

“Like I said, you should worry more about you.”

Lucifer shook his head, stalling for time to gather himself.  “I... I have to know.  Were... were you the one who... k-kidnapped Dad?”

“You believe the mad ramblings of our crazy father?”  Barachiel laughed.

That caught the Devil’s attention.  “H-how did you know... what D-Dad was rambling on about?”

Not even a split second passed before his brother punched him in the face.  The fallen angel went limp in his captors’ arms as he tried to clear his head.  Placing a cool finger under the Devil’s chin, Barachiel tilted his brother’s head up, stared deep into his burning red eyes, and smiled.

“You...did.  You kidnapped him, didn’t... you?” Lucifer spat.

Barachiel said nothing as he backhanded his fallen brother.  Straightening, the Council leader said, “It doesn’t matter -- not to you, anyway.  You’re in Hell now, and this is where you will stay.”  The angel stepped aside to reveal an open, empty cell.  “Meet your new home.”

Oh no.  No.  No no nonono --

Gesturing to the soldiers, Barachiel said, “Throw him in.”

“No -- you can’t!” the fallen angel cried, fighting futilely against the angels restraining him.

Lucifer knew no one could escape those cells -- except Aphrodite, and only because she and he had been tethered together by that damned collar -- and he also knew what went on inside them.  All the cells in Hell were designed for one purpose: to take the one thing the occupant most desired, and use it as a method of torture.  If the damned soul loved food, the cell would withhold it.  If the soul loved to be pain-free, the cell would call the demons in to cause pain.  And as for himself?  He knew that what he most loved was Chloe....

Digging in his heels as best he could, he struggled to escape as the soldiers dragged him toward the dark cell.  He beat his wings furiously, trying to strike out at his captors, but weak as he was after the Fall, his exertions were ineffectual in slowing his advance.

With one big heave the soldiers threw him into the dark prison.  As Lucifer landed on the cold floor of the cell, Barachiel tossed in a robe.  “I hear it can get cold in there.  You can cover yourself with this.”

As the Devil scrambled to get to his feet, he saw with dismay the big, heavy stone doors closing on him.  With a burst of adrenaline he ran for it, trying to escape, but they closed before he got there, leaving him in complete darkness.  Dulled by the cell walls, Barachiel’s laughter echoed around him, as did the sound of chains they affixed to the door.

He was trapped.

 


	8. The Cell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A great big thank you to my wonderful beta, ScooterThyme! You make my work shine!

 

 

“I don’t know why we have to see your dad.”

“Because he’s my father, Maze.  I want to see him.”

Amenadiel and Maze bickered as they rode the elevator up one floor to the flat, still arguing when the doors opened.  They didn’t notice anything wrong until they stepped out and realized the penthouse was as silent as a tomb.

“What the...?” the angel muttered.  After a quick glance around and seeing some of the damages around the flat, both of them got a very bad feeling.

“Lucifer!” Maze called out.

No response.

As they rounded the piano, they spotted Sachiel lying on the floor in a pool of blood.  With a curse, he and Maze rushed to the injured angel.  As the demon turned her over, the angel quickly sent up a prayer for Raphael before whipping off his shirt.  Amenadiel pressed it hard against Sachiel’s stomach while Maze held the angel in her arms.  Sachiel’s face was white from shock and blood loss; her eyelids flickered open and she stared at the demon and angel looking at her.

“Sachi,” Amenadiel whispered, leaning close.  “Hang on.  You’re going to be okay.”

His sister just stared at him, her eyes welling with tears.

“Can you tell us what happened?” he asked gently.

“Lucifer....” she whispered.  “In... Hell.”

“What?!”  Maze snarled.  “Lucifer’s in Hell?!”

Amenadiel shot the demon a warning look before turning back to the dark-haired angel.  “What about Chloe?  Trixie?”

Sachiel shook her head.  “T-taken.  Father.  Raphael too,” she whispered before closed her eyes.

“Hey!” Maze snapped, shaking her, but the angel had already lost consciousness.  The demon exchanged glances with her boyfriend, who frowned.  If Raphael was taken, there was no one to heal Sachiel, who was the only one left who could give them any information.  Amenadiel ran a frustrated hand over his face.

“Taken by who?” Maze asked as she angrily shook the unconscious woman, as if it would make her wake up.   _ “Who?!” _

“Stop it, Maze,” Amenadiel snapped.  “We need to get her help.”

_ “We _ need to get Lucifer out of Hell,” the demon snapped at her boyfriend.

“We can’t just let my sister die!”

“She’s practically dead already!  Lucifer’s not!  We need to get him out!”

“And how do you propose that?  If he’s in Hell, the Hellmouth will be closed to him.  Without Chloe to get him out --”

“We have to get him out, somehow,” Maze said angrily.  “Somehow!”

Heaving a big sigh, her angel boyfriend nodded.  “Fine.  We’ll think of something when we get down there.  In the meantime, I’m going to get help for my sister.”

“Who the hell can help her now?  Just let her die --”

Amenadiel grabbed Maze by her neck and yanked her close as he snarled, “We are  _ not _ going to let her die.”

The demon’s eyes lit up at the angel’s anger; she licked her lips and grinned at the show of force by her boyfriend.  “Oooh, I like you like this, Amenadiel.”

For a moment the angel stared at her as desire flared incredibly high between them, but then Amenadiel looked down at his sister.  Rolling his eyes at his girlfriend, he growled, “Not now.”

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone and dialed.  “Hello, Hal?  This is Lucifer’s brother, Amenad--  Oh.  Yeah.  Right.  Look, I need your help and it’s urgent.  Can you get to Lucifer’s penthouse right away?  Chloe is in troub --”  He looked at his phone as the storm god hung up on him.  “By Heavenly Father, Hal -- at least let me finish my sentence,” he told the dead phone.

No less than fifteen minutes later, a very agitated Hal GeWitter entered the flat.  The storm god looked like he was ready to kill someone.  As he took in his surroundings and the angels and demon, his face grew as dark as a storm cloud.

“What the hell happened?” he bit out as he kneeled down beside the injured angel.

“We’re not sure,” Maze said.  “Lucifer’s in Hell.  Everyone else has been taken.”

“Taken?!  Who took them?  And where?”

“We don’t know,” Amenadiel said.  “But Maze and I have to somehow get Lucifer out -- at least we know where  _ he _ is.  There’s no one to heal Sachi, but we can’t leave her alone.  Can you watch her?”

“I’ll do what I can,” Hal growled.  “I have a little medical experience.  Not much, but maybe I can help.”  With a glint of humor he added, “Multiple lifetimes come in handy once in a while.”  Lifting Amenadiel’s wadded up shirt, he hissed through his teeth as he checked the wound.  “Well, at least it’s a knife wound and not a gunshot wound.  If she had been shot, she’d be very dead right now.”  Glancing up at the angel and demon, he said, “I’ll take care of this.  You guys go.”

“Come on, Maze,” Amenadiel said, getting to his feet and holding his hand out to his girlfriend as he unfurled his wings.  “Let’s go to Hell.”

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

“I don’t love you, you know.  I never did.”

Chloe bent over Lucifer as he sat propped up against the cold wall of his cell.  Her icy, hard eyes studied his bloody body stripped of skin and some muscle, while a cruel smile twisted her lips.

“Shut up,” he muttered as he tried to turn away from her.

“What’s the matter, Lucifer?  Can’t bear to hear the truth?”

“This isn’t the truth.  This is just a bloody illusion.”  The fallen angel squeezed his fists tight as he struggled to hold onto what was reality: the woman before him was just a demon wearing Chloe’s face, summoned by the cell to torture him.

When she had first come to him, he had thought of fighting back -- after all, it wasn’t real.  None of this was... but he couldn’t do it.  The thought of harming Chloe turned his stomach.  When Aphrodite wore Chloe’s face, her overwhelming hunger for his power helped distinguish her from his wife.  But this Chloe... this bloody demon... was good.  Very good.  She had his wife’s intonations, mannerisms, everything down pat.  It paralyzed him from fighting back with anything except words.

With a defiant lift of his chin and eyes that glowed red with fury, he said, “You’re not real.”

“Not real?”  Chloe rolled her eyes before punching him hard across the face, nearly knocking him over.  “Doesn’t that feel real to you, you ass?”

The fallen angel said nothing; he just rubbed his cheek and closed his eyes.  She slapped him and yanked his chin until he looked at her.

“Did you ever think I could love you?  I love Dan.  I’ve always loved Dan.  Never you.  You were just a convenient substitute.”

She laughed as she beckoned to the back of the cell.  Another figure emerged: the douche.  He grinned widely at the fallen angel before taking Chloe into his arms.  Lucifer tried to look away as they kissed passionately, but found that he couldn’t.  A sharp pain ripped through his chest, so great that he felt like he was going to die.  Even though he knew it wasn’t real, it still hurt.  It was always like this when the douche emerged.  Next they would make love in front of him -- one of the most horrifying tortures that the cell could devise.

Sure enough, the next thing he knew, the couple was entwined on the floor, with Chloe gasping and moaning her pleasure as the douche serviced her.  Bloody hell, even when he looked away, he could hear their impassioned cries echo through the cell.  When the douche had first made his appearance, Lucifer had tried to pry him off of Chloe.  The cell had seemed to laugh as the pair of demons beat him until he could no longer move, before they returned to their... coupling.  He had learned to just leave them alone when they were at it.

Hours passed as the douche made love to her over and over and over....

Lucifer tried to cover his ears, but he could still hear them.  Bloody hell, it was torture... but then again, he was in Hell.  He just had to remember that.

At last the douche was gone, and she was before him again, clothed and mocking his love for her.

“You’re not real,” he whispered, closing his eyes, but she wouldn’t let him rest.  A hard slap across his face had his eyes flying back open.

“You’re so ugly.  Hideous.  You’re not even human.  Look at you!  Disgusting creature.”

_ Don’t fight back,  _ he thought to himself. _  Don’t give the cell what it wants.  Don’t let it turn you into a monster. _

“Evil incarnate.  What makes you think that someone good like me would ever fall in love with someone -- no, some _ thing _ like you?”

She struck out with her foot, kicking him viciously.  Pain flared up in his side as she knocked him down.  The woman laughed harshly as she ripped off her engagement and wedding rings and threw them at him.

“Take your damned rings, I hate them.  I hate you!  My daughter hates you!  Everyone hates you!”

He knew it wasn’t real.  He knew it, and yet the words hurt.  They hurt so much... especially hearing them in her voice.  How long had this been going on?  Years.  Centuries.  Time in the cell passed much differently than in the outside world.  A minute felt like years.

And yet somehow he had managed to keep his sanity.  His wedding band hadn’t burned in the Fall, thankfully.  It had survived, somehow, along with his onyx ring from Hell.  He covered the wedding band with his red, bloodied hand and kept it hidden from his tormentor.  It was the only thing that kept him sane.  The feel of the metal around his finger reminded him of the love he shared with his real wife.  She loved him -- he just had to remember it.  Hold onto it.  Cherish it.

The verbal and physical abuse continued, but he tuned it all out.  He was strong.  They couldn’t break him.  He was Lucifer Morningstar, and he had the strongest will in all of Heaven and Hell....

Pulling himself into a ball on the floor, he turned inward and pulled out his memories of Chloe and Beatrice.  It was the same survival mechanism he had used when he had sacrificed himself to Aphrodite.

Reaching all the way back to the first time they met, he remembered that he had been playing the piano when she had come in to interview him.  She had been so sarcastic, so beautiful....  It had thrilled him.

And then there was the time when Chloe and he had sat together, playing “Heart and Soul.”  How it had warmed his heart that she had come to sit with him after the death of Father Frank, when he really needed a friend -- even though he didn’t like to admit it.

A sigh escaped him as he recalled more recent events -- like the day he proposed to Chloe.  Oh, she had been so angry and fiery....  And then the wedding.  So beautiful in her wedding dress, and the little one looking so nice in red.  The last day before Dad came, when he couldn’t get enough of his beautiful wife....  Falling on the floor tearing at each other’s clothes while the babysitter and the little one looked on....  And then the incredible sex later on!  It brought a warmth to his chest.  How he missed his family....  He hoped they were alive and well.  He didn’t dare think of them as anything but that -- he’d go insane if he didn’t.

A swift kick in the ribs pulled him from his daydream.  Looking up, he saw Chloe standing over him, studying him like a bug under a microscope.

“You aren’t paying attention to me,” she said, pouting.  “You need to  _ look at me!” _  She followed her yell with another kick.

Pain shot through his body at the blow.  Bloody hell, she was strong.  Well, she was a demon wearing Chloe’s face, so that was to be expected, but still....

Laughing disdainfully with a hint of his old spirit, he spat, “You can’t break me, you know.  I’m Lucifer Morningstar, Lord of Hell.  You’ll never break me.”

Chloe bent down close to him, and caressed his cheek.  Lucifer shuddered from her touch.  It felt so much like her....

“I’ll break you, you know I will.  It’s still the early days, and we have all of eternity....”

 


	9. The Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very big thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme, who makes my work shine!

 

 

Amenadiel could sense a large gathering of angels in Hell when he and Maze arrived, for his siblings made no effort to hide their presence.  Figuring that the congregating angels were where Lucifer was being held, he decided to touch down well away from them.  There was no need in letting their enemies know that they had arrived.  Maze, however, didn’t take his caution well.

“What the hell, Amenadiel!” she snapped.  “Why did you land us so far away?”

“There are a lot of them --”

“We could take them!”

The angel gave a long, patient sigh.  “Yes, we can, but we can do a better job if we have the element of surprise on our side.”

“Oh....”  The demon’s eyes glinted with a feral light as she smiled.  “I like the way you think, Amenadiel.  Like a demon.”

He wasn’t sure how to take that.  It sounded like an insult, but felt like a compliment.  Well, things were quite confusing when one was dating a demon.  “Okay, come on,” he said as he started to lead the way, but she grabbed him and tossed him behind her like a stuffed toy.

“Hell is _my_ domain,” she said proudly.  “I lead the way.”

So he followed behind his girlfriend, admiring her quite nice behind while he was at it.  Unfortunately staring at her well-shaped, firm rump in tight leather the whole way also had the effect of arousing him quite badly.  He hoped he would be able to fight.  Maybe he should pull her to one side for a quickie...?  She might like that....  Surely Luci could wait a few more minutes?

But then they had arrived, and before he could even warn the demon not to kill anyone, she had jumped into the group of soldiers, spinning, kicking, and slashing with her knives.  Not to be left out, Amenadiel jumped in with her, tackling angels where he could and knocking them unconscious.

It was a vicious fight, for the guards were quite strong and didn’t pull any punches.  Working his way systematically from one end to another, Amenadiel punched, kicked, and was able to knock out about half the contingent.  Maze, on the other hand, just jumped right in and killed anything that moved.  In minutes, the guards were incapacitated.

As he was dusting off his hands, Amenadiel caught sight of a blur to his side.  Before he could react, Maze had jumped on him, knocking him to the ground.  With a sultry purr, she licked the blood off some of the cuts he had sustained from the fight.  The feel of her body perched on his as she ran her hands and tongue all over him had him on fire and gasping with need.

First smiling ferally, she then gave him a hungry, ferocious kiss that had him reaching for her, but she knocked his hands away.  “Uh-uh,” she said with a waggle of her finger.  “We get Lucifer out of the cell, first.”  She licked his cheek as he closed his eyes and groaned.

“Tease,” he growled.

She merely laughed in his face as she pulled away from him and got to her feet.

Damn.  Sometimes he really hated dating a demon.

 

 

________________________________________

  


 

“You wretched man, I hate you! Why won’t you just die?” the demon with Chloe’s face spat as she viciously kicked Lucifer in the head.  Curled up in a ball, the Devil said nothing.  He clutched his bent knees hard and closed his eyes, dreaming of his days on Earth as the demon continued her assault.

The rattle of chains interrupted his thoughts.  That was new....

Cracking open an eye, he saw the demon glance up.  Following her gaze, he heard more rattling chains.  Someone was opening the door?!  She hissed as she retreated to the back of the cell and disappeared, returning from whence she came.  

Scrambling to his feet, Lucifer raced as quick as he could to the opening door.  As injured as he was, it wasn’t easy, but he pushed the pain aside and plunged through the opening.  Maze and Amenadiel caught him on the outside.  Laughing like a loon, he hugged them both.

“Bloody hell, took you long enough!” he cried as he pounded his brother’s back and punched Maze, making her grin in glee.  Glancing around, he saw all of the unconscious angels scattered around on the ground.  They had still been guarding the cell?  “How long... how long have I been in there?”

“Six or seven hours,” Maze said.

Hours?!  Oh bloody hell...!  Then he really had been in the cell for centuries....  No wonder it had felt so long.  Reaction started to set in; his heart started pounding furiously, and the strength left his legs.  He fell in a heap onto the ground among the downed angels.  With a cry, Amenadiel and Maze rushed to help him, but he waved them away.  He was the bloody Devil!  He could stand on his own!

It was a struggle, but he tottered to his feet and took a deep breath.  How wonderful it felt to be free of the cell!  Free!  And how he desperately longed to see his family... although the thought of them sent frissons of fear up his spine.  Were they all right?  He couldn’t remember, and that worried him.  He had been quite a long time in Hell....

He shook off his concerns.  Surely his family was safe....?  With a spark of his old self, he said, “Well, freedom never felt so good!  Let’s head home, shall we?”  He looked at Amenadiel, and was surprised to see him wince.

“Uh... we really didn’t have a plan on getting out of Hell... only getting you out of the cell.”

Shock rippled through the fallen angel.  “So... we’re trapped here?  For the Hellmouth is closed to me, and to Maze, as well.”

Amenadiel nodded.  “I know.”

Lucifer thought hard and fast.  He wasn’t about to let Hell stop him from being with his wife and family!  “Right.  I know what we have to do.  It will be chancy, but worth the risk.  Amenadiel, you’re not bloody injured, are you?  Are you up to full strength, or...?”

He shrugged.  “Nah, I’m okay... I guess...?  What are you planning, Luci?”

“You can get through the Hellmouth without any problems, for you still have Father’s Grace.  Can you hold it open?  Just long enough for Maze and I to shoot through...?”

His brother’s eyes grew wide.  “You want me to _what?!”_

“Come on, bro.  There’s no other way,” Lucifer encouraged.

“Yeah, Amenadiel.  Show me your cojones!”  Maze licked her lips hungrily.  “I know you can do it....  The thought of you holding the Hellmouth open makes me... hot.”

A flush appeared on the angel’s face and he stared at the demon, his eyes aglow with desire.  The pair suddenly came together in a burst of passion, kissing each other ferociously, which had Lucifer rolling his eyes.

“Please, children, not now!  Save it for after!”

With an angry hiss, Maze ripped herself away from Amenadiel’s face to snarl at the fallen angel.  “You get to make out with Decker whenever, so why can’t I...?”

“Because the detective and I aren’t usually having sex in Hell when there are angel soldiers all about and my family is waiting upstairs!”

“Oh.”  The demon muttered.  Turning to her boyfriend, she growled, “We’ll pick this up later.”

Sighing with relief, Lucifer said.  “Right.  I’ll carry you, Maze.  If Amenadiel does, the Hellmouth won’t open.  We’ll come up fast behind you, bro.  All we need is a second or two.”

“Okay.  Let’s give this a try.  I pray this works!”

Maze jumped into the fallen angel’s arms as her boyfriend took off into the sky.  Lucifer spread his wings and shot off after him.  Higher and higher they soared, gaining speed as they kept traveling upward.  The hot desert winds of Hell buffeted them, and the temperature rose as they climbed higher, but they didn’t relent.

Lucifer tightened his hold on his demon as they traveled, reminded of the time he flew them out of Hell almost six years ago.  Nostalgia swept through him, surprising him and making him smile.  Here he was again, making a daring escape with Maze in his arms....

He didn’t know how long they flew, only that they kept pushing on upward.  His wings grew tired and his muscles burned, but he kept on.  The thought of Chloe, Beatrice and the unborn baby kept him focused and centered.

Eventually they reached the boundary to the material world.  As Amenadiel approached it, the Hellmouth -- a giant maw in the barrier -- opened.  The angel flew up to it and stopped halfway in and out, pushing hard against the mouth’s edge to force it open.  “Now, Luci!”

“Hang on, Maze!” the fallen angel cried as he found his last burst of energy and flew like a rocket at the opening.  He could see the Hellmouth sensing him, and trying desperately to close.  Despite Amenadiel’s efforts, it started to shut.  The angel’s muscles strained as he let out a yell from the intense exertion.

“Come on!” Lucifer cried to himself as he went faster and faster.  The world screamed past him as he pushed himself toward the opening that was getting smaller and smaller.  He had to make it, he just had to!

“I can’t hold it!” Amenadiel yelled as they neared.

The mouth was only five feet in diameter when they finally shot through -- barely enough room for them to make it.  In fact, Lucifer had to pull in his wings for an instant to make it through the tiny opening.  Maze grabbed the angel as they screeched past, snagging him and pulling him free as the mouth slammed shut right behind him.  It had been so close that Lucifer had felt the change in air pressure against his feet as the mouth slammed shut.  As they sped upward through the strata of rock, protected by his wings’ divinity, they laughed crazily from the release of tension.

Soon the strata of rock changed to the pitch blackness of the ocean.  As they reached the surface, their surroundings lightened only marginally, for the moonlight could not penetrate the inky sea.  Like an explosion, they erupted out of the water and into the air of the Earth.  Quickly finding his bearings, Lucifer took them to the penthouse.

The landing on the balcony wasn’t a clean one.  He was too tired and in too much pain from all the wounds he had sustained from the cell demon that he just couldn’t make a proper touchdown.  They tumbled in a mass of limbs and feathers onto the balcony, finally rolling to a stop.

Hal stood up at the sound of their crash landing.  He had been kneeling beside Sachiel, who was lying on the couch.  His eyebrows went up at Lucifer’s skinless, burned appearance as the threesome untangled themselves.

“Well, I assume that’s you, Lucifer,” he said calmly.  “You’re really ugly without your skin, aren’t you?”

Lucifer let out a sharp laugh as he straightened his robe and walked into the flat.  “You really are an arse, aren’t you?  I’m sure you would look much worse than me.”  Then he spotted his sister, her robes covered in blood, and his heart dropped to his knees.  A vague memory pushed at him... bloody hell, he couldn’t seem to remember anything after being in the cell for so long.  Rushing up, he asked, “What happened?”

“Stab wound.”

Giving the storm god an angry look, he snarled sarcastically, “Yes, I can see that, but --”

“You better get her some help.  She’s dying.  Not much more I can do for her,” Hal said, with a shake of his head.

“But...”  Confusion ran rampant through the fallen angel’s head.  He suspected that he may have been kicked in the head one too many times in the cell, for he had a hard time comprehending exactly what had happened.  “Why are you here?  Where is my family?”

“Amenadiel called Hal for help,“ Maze said.  “Sachiel said everyone’s been taken  -- Chloe, Trixie, your father and Rafe --”

Lucifer’s eyes grew wide with shock.  “Taken?!   Even Rafe?!  Bloody hell, why would anyone --”

“Yes, Rafe, but we don’t know by whom,” Maze told him.

Lucifer couldn’t believe it.  He stood there, stunned, trying hard to remember.  As the events of the evening slowly returned to his memory, his eyes burned red and he growled, “Barachiel.  He stabbed Sachi -- I remember now.  He must have taken my family.”

“Barachiel?”  Amenadiel asked.  “But... he’s an archangel!”

“Precisely,” the fallen angel bit out.  Clasping his brother on the shoulder, he said, “Go up to Heaven.  Tell them you’re there because you heard about Dad missing.  Ask around about Barachiel, find out all you can.  Can you do that?”

“Absolutely, brother.  But where are you going?”

“I need to find out exactly what happened and Sachi is the only one who can tell us.  I’m taking her to Chloe’s brother.”

Hal grabbed Lucifer’s arm, halting him from picking up his sister.  “Listen, little winged man, I want in on whatever’s going on here.  There’s no reason why this poor woman should be so badly butchered.  Besides, I have a bone to pick with Yahweh.”

“Dad’s hopelessly insane.  You won’t get much satisfaction beating him up.”

Hal smiled evilly.  “That’s what you think.  Come on, let me in on it.  I won’t hurt your dad -- much.”

For a moment the Devil hesitated.  He was reluctant to pull the storm god into a fight that wasn’t his, plus the thought of the older man beating up a hopelessly insane god was a little disturbing....  Then again, he _would_ need as much help as he could get.  “Very well.  I’ll contact you.”

Hal nodded, and helped place Sachiel in Lucifer’s arms.  Striding back to the balcony, the fallen angel launched himself into the sky.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

As Lucifer arrived on the plane of Shotou, he worried madly about Sachiel -- the only one who could tell him what had happened to his family, and what had been in Mad Dad’s mind.  The single foremost thought in his head was that he had to get her to Healing.  The fact that he was swaying and dipping from his own injuries and exhaustion as he carried his wounded sister didn’t even occur to him.  The darkness sitting on the fringes of his consciousness called to him, but he pushed it aside angrily.  There was too much else to worry about.

Moonlight glimmered over the water as he flew over the wide expanse of ocean.  Pumping his wings hard as he caught the tradewinds, he hurried as best he could to the archipelago where his brother-in-law was.  Erratic as his flying was, he stayed on course, and soon had arrived at the familiar village of the Old Gods.  Usually he landed on the beach and walked through the village, but this time he flew straight until he reached Healing’s house and landed in his backyard.  Hoping his brother-in-law was home, he rushed to the simple, one-story wood structure.

Banging madly on the wooden sliding door with his foot, he hoped for a response.  After what seemed like forever, the door slid open.  Healing stood gaping at him, recognizing him even though his skin had been burned off and his body was an angry, bloody red.

“Angel?!  Sun and Moon, what --”

“Help her,” Lucifer cried, handing his sister to the healer.  As the god took Sachiel in his arms, the fallen angel swayed, then collapsed in a heap on the ground, letting the darkness finally take him.

 


	10. Getting Help

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very big thank you(!!) to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme, whose hard work makes my work shine! Thank you!

 

 

For a long time Lucifer floated in a gray mist.

It was comfortable there, soothing.  Nothing existed beyond the fog.  No pain, no torture, no nothing.  He was... happy.   Thoughts of the outside world didn’t intrude.  He hadn’t felt this carefree since... well... since he was born.

Something was missing, though.  It niggled at his brain, eating away at his peace of mind.  Something important.  His heart felt empty.  Heavy.  Why?  He didn’t understand.  There was something wrong.  Something....

And then he realized what it was.  Half of his soul was missing.

_Chloe!_

Lucifer’s eyes flew open.  He found himself soaking in a very deep wooden tub that had been filled with a white, milky substance in a small, unfamiliar room, lit by a single candle in a corner.  The water -- if it could be called water -- deeply penetrated into his bones, making him feel rejuvenated and energized.  Holding up his hand, he saw that his burns were all healed.  He ran a shaky hand over his head and found his skin and hair had also returned there, as well.  He was back to his normal, angelic self.

With a sigh of relief, he grabbed the sides of the tub and pulled himself to his feet.  The white water sluiced off of him as he stepped out, falling onto the tiled floor and running into a nearby drain.  Spotting a towel sitting on a stool, Lucifer snagged it and dried himself off before wrapping it around his hips.  The robe that Barachiel had tossed him in Hell was nowhere to be seen.   _Bloody good riddance,_ thought Lucifer as he bared his teeth briefly.

Sliding open the only door in the room, he popped out his head and recognized the hall of Healing’s house.  Feeling a little more confident of his surroundings, he stepped out and padded silently down the long corridor.  Candles lit his way as he walked toward the living room.

He spotted the healer there, where Sachiel was lying on some bedding on the floor.  Taking a deep breath to call out to Healing, Lucifer faltered when he saw something in the god’s face as he looked down at the wounded angel.  There was worry on Healing’s face, as well as something else.  Something so... personal that the fallen angel immediately backtracked to the bathroom and slammed the sliding door loudly, before tromping into the living room.

By the time he got there, Healing had put on a cheerful mask.  “Angel!  How do you feel?”

“Better, thanks to you,” Lucifer said as he kneeled down beside his sister.  “How is she?”

“Still unconscious.  She lost a lot of blood -- thankfully whoever worked on her before me helped keep her alive.”  Healing frowned.  “She should be awake by now.  Physically, she’s all better.”

The fallen angel winced, remembering Sachiel’s state of mind after looking into Yahweh’s memories.  “Ah... right.  I believe her current condition might be my fault.”

The god shot him a sharp glance.  “Your fault?”

“I asked her to peek into Mad Dad’s head.”  At Healing’s shocked expression, Lucifer added defensively, “Bloody hell, it was necessary!  Dad said he had been kidnapped and that his sodding children were trying to kill him!”

Without warning, Healing’s fist shot out over Sachiel and caught Lucifer in the jaw.  “Bloody hell, Healing!” he yelped after he recovered from the blow.

“You asked her to look into an insane mind?!” the god snapped angrily.  “Are you crazy?!”

Guilt washed over the fallen angel, making him rub his jaw agitatedly.  “There was no other way.”

Healing rolled his eyes, reminding Lucifer so much of Chloe at that moment that his heart skipped a beat.  “Well, at least I know it’s not just physical now.  Give me a few minutes and get yourself dressed.  My room’s back down the hall, last door on your left.  Help yourself to whatever you like.”

“Will she be all right?” the fallen angel asked.

“I’ll do my best.  Now go on,” the god said, giving Lucifer’s shoulder a little shove.

Reluctantly, the fallen angel started walking back down toward the hall, but not without a few glances over his shoulder.  He saw Healing pick up Sachiel’s hand with both of his and hold it to his chest.  Hoping for the best, Lucifer hurried to the god’s room and stepped inside.

Inside a chest of drawers he found all sorts of silk robes and trousers -- or what he figured were trousers? -- but he was at a complete loss at how to put them on.  He was going to need help.  Digging through the chest, he found a beautiful black robe and slipped it on before making his way back to the living room.

“How’s my sister?” he asked as he approached.  Healing looked up and shook his head.

“I can’t do anything more for her.  She’ll wake when she’s ready.”  Studying Lucifer drowning in the silk robe, he chuckled and stood.  “She’ll be okay on her own for a few minutes.  Come on, let’s get you dressed.”

There was a real art to wearing Old God clothes, Lucifer had to admit.  He felt like a bloody doll as Healing dressed him.  There were undergarments and robes on top with ties and a silk belt and then those trousers...!  The bloody thing had so many bloody long ties!  He had no idea what Healing was doing, or if he’d ever be able to dress himself in Old God clothes.  Wearing a suit was so much easier...!  But he had to admit, after his brother-in-law had finished dressing him, he looked mighty fine.  Plus the clothes were far more comfortable than he had ever thought!  He wished Chloe could see him in all this finery.

Thinking of his wife brought all of his problems immediately back to mind.

As they sat down in the dining room where they could both easily see Sachiel if she awoke, Healing finally asked, “What happened, Angel?  What’s going on, and why were you so badly burned?”

“Mad Dad went missing from Heaven for a few days, then suddenly showed up at my flat.  He was too bloody insane to tell us what had happened to him, so I asked Sachiel to take a look in his head.  The next thing I knew, my brother Barachiel was there, threatening my family.  He stabbed Sachiel, then clubbed me.  When I woke, I was in Hell.  I had... burned when I went down.  Barachiel locked me in a cell --”  Lucifer broke off and shuddered.  Casting panicked eyes at Healing, he said, “I don’t know what happened to Chloe -- Compassion.  My family.  Sachiel’s the only one who can tell me what happened.”

“Well, hopefully she’ll wake up,” the god said uneasily, casting a glance at the prone woman before turning back to Lucifer.  With eyes that saw far too much, he scrutinized the angel across from him.  “What happened in Hell?”

Starting at the question, Lucifer gaped like a fish out of water.  “What?”

“When you got locked up.  Tell me what happened.”

A stubborn look crossed the fallen angel’s face.  “I... I don’t want to.”

“I know, but your suffering is practically screaming at me.  I can feel it radiating off of you.”  Leaning forward, he coaxed, “Come on.  I’m your brother, now.  You can tell me.”  At Lucifer’s reluctance, Healing added, “You can always tell Compassion instead --”

“No!”  Lucifer cried.  His hands twisted in his lap as his face turned grim.  “I don’t want to tell her about it.”

“Fair enough.  Then talk to me.”

A gusty sigh escaped the fallen angel.  He knew he had to talk to someone -- he just didn’t want to... but far better to talk to Healing than Chloe.  In a faltering voice, he explained what had happened in the cell -- how time slowed down, and what had gone on when he was imprisoned.  He tried to talk about the abuse dispassionately, from a distance, but he could feel the tension and anxiety wind tighter and tighter around him until he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

By the time he was done, his hands were shaking, his heart felt like a jackhammer in his chest, and sweat was pouring off his brow.  That was when he realized his time in Hell had affected him far more than he had initially thought.  Up until now he had shoved it into the back of his mind, to be buried forever -- but Healing had dug it up, and now he had to face it.

“Take a deep breath, Lucifer,” the god said as he reached across the table and took the fallen angel’s hand in his.  Hearing his given name spoken helped Lucifer get a hold of himself.

“Bloody hell,” he whispered as he squeezed his eyes shut.

“Talking is a catharsis,” Healing said.  “It helps you get things out that need to get out.  You can’t bottle up things like that, Angel.  You were tortured for... what sounds like centuries.  You’re going to be affected.  Can you tell me how you feel right now, at this very minute?”

How did he feel?  Like he had lost half of his soul.  It scared him badly, for he loved Chloe so much....

“I... don’t want to talk about how I feel,” he growled as he yanked his hand from Healing’s grasp and let his eyes burn with fire.

“You’re scared,” Healing said calmly.  “Hurt.  Angry, too.  There’s a lot of rage, there.”

Lucifer rubbed his hands over his face before clenching them in his lap.  “Bloody hell.  I know it was a demon.  I know it!  And yet... it hurt so much when she said all those things... slept with the douche.  I was so angry, but I couldn’t fight back.  It would have been like hitting _her_.  I was so bloody angry... still am.  So bloody helpless....”  Lifting his eyes to his brother-in-law, he whispered, “What if I take all this anger out on her?  What if... she’s not safe to be around me, anymore?”

“Do you think you will harm her?” Healing asked.  “Look deep, Lucifer.  Do you?”

Would he?  “I don’t know.”

The god leaned on the table, staring at the Devil intensely.  “You’re a good man, Lucifer.  My sister saw it.  I see it.  Just the fact that you’re scared to death you might hurt her proves it.  You didn’t harm the demon who wore her face -- the one who was actually abusing you.  You won’t hurt Chloe.  Trust yourself, first and foremost.”

Trust himself?  He wondered if he could.  He had a lot of rage stored up... what if he lost control?  Then again, he had never taken his anger out on an innocent -- it wasn’t in his nature....

“Right.  I’ll...  I’ll try.”

“Now, let’s deal with the hurt.  The demon....”

“Said over and over that she -- that Chloe doesn’t love me, that she never loved me.”  He bowed his head sadly.  “She said I was a monster.”

Healing stared deep into his eyes.  “Do you believe that?  I mean really, deep down?”

“I... I don’t know anymore.”

“Hm.”  Looking consideringly at the fallen angel, the god said, “This isn’t something I can help you with.  You’ll have to bear with this hurt for just a little longer, until you talk with my sister.  Do you feel guilty, as well?”

He nodded reluctantly.

“I know it’s hard, but you have to realize that you were taken prisoner.  You were tortured.  Nothing is your fault.”

Lucifer looked up.  “But...”

“But?”

“I... I feel like....”

“Yes?”

“I feel like it was, somehow.  My fault.”

“Why?”

“I... I don’t know.  Maybe there could have been some way to prevent the whole sodding mess....”  He let out a strangled cry.  “I’m just so... so bloody angry!”

“You need to let that anger go.  Like I told you once before, anger is corrosive.  It’s going to destroy you, if you hold onto it.  You have to let it go.  Let me help.”  He took the fallen angel’s hand in his once again, and closed his eyes.  A feeling of... well-being poured into Lucifer, making him feel surprisingly better.  Releasing his brother-in-law’s hand, Healing rose from the table and said, “A little physical exertion will compliment things nicely, and I know just who you need to see for that.”

“But --”  Lucifer’s eyes darted from his brother-in-law to his prone sister.  “But Sachiel --”

“Cannot help you as long as she’s unconscious,” the healer said.  “I’ll let you know when she wakes.  Now....”  Striding to the entryway, Healing slid open the front door and stepped out for a few minutes.  When he returned, War was with him.

When the giant spotted Lucifer at the dining table, his face lit up like the sun.  “Angel!  Nice to see you!”

The friendliness of the Old Gods always shook the Devil.  He was not used to having people actually be happy to see him.  He waved at the giant with trepidation as he rose to his feet.

“Listen, War, Angel needs to let off some steam,” Healing told the big man.  “Can you let him beat on you for a while?  Maybe wrestle a bit?”

The giant lifted an eyebrow.  “Now?!  In the predawn hours?  You pick weird times for a workout, Healing.”

“No better time than the present,” the healer said.

War smiled and looked at Lucifer insightfully.  “Another of those anger management sessions, eh?  Be glad to.  At least he’s not Storm.  That ass was a lost cause.”

The healer chuckled as he cast a glance at the Devil.  “Angel’s all right, he just needs to get some stuff off his chest.  Don’t hurt him, okay?”

“I beg your pardon -- shouldn’t you be telling _me_ not to hurt _him?”_ Lucifer asked indignantly as he stepped outside to face the giant.

War let out a boisterous laugh.  “As if you could, little winged man!  It would take a hundred of you to even scratch me!”

“Use the backyard, if you would?  I’m going to be sitting with Sachi.”  Healer started to turn away, but War stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

Concern was etched on the giant’s face as he said, “She’s back?”

“She’s injured,” was all Healing said as he walked inside.

Lucifer watched his brother-in-law close the sliding door before he started walking to the back yard with the giant.  “What’s going on between Healing and Sachi?”

War cast him a funny glance, then shook his head.  “Not my place to say, little winged man.  Come on, let’s see what you’re made of!”

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Lucifer had to admit, fighting with War was very therapeutic.

After the war god had run home to pick up weapons and tools, he had come back to light a few torches in the back yard to light up their workout area.  Lucifer watched with fascination as the giant prepared their space, cleaning it with care.  When that was done, the god showed him how to hitch up his trousers, then take off the robes without removing them completely, so that they just hung down around him.  It made fighting so much easier!

He felt much better after they had wrestled, boxed, fought with practice swords, and just basically beat on each other.  Much of that... horrible feeling of pent up anger had dissipated, leaving him feeling calm and relaxed.  Was it the fighting or was it the help that Healing had provided?  He wasn’t sure, but he was glad he felt better.  Pride shot through him at the thought that he had given the giant a run for his money.  Well he hoped so, at least.  Bloody hell, if the giant had just been humoring him all this time, he would be very disappointed....

The air was cool as dawn broke.  It felt good on the fallen angel’s skin after such an intense workout.  Sitting next to the giant on a nearby bench as they took turns using a dipper to drink water from a bucket, Lucifer finally asked, “So... what’s going on with my sister and brother-in-law?”

War looked down at the fallen angel and shook his head.  “You’re not going to let that go, are you?”

“Nope.”  The Devil grinned and exerted his famous charm.  “Come on, War.  You want to tell me, you know you do!”

The giant grinned.  “That doesn’t work on me, little winged man, but I’ll tell you anyway, because you’re family.”

 _You’re family._  Lucifer was struck by the words, and his chest suddenly felt tight with emotion.  Swallowing hard, he said, “Very well.”

“Healing likes your sister.   A lot.”

The fallen angel’s eyebrows went up before he broke into a wide grin.  He had suspected, but....  “Splendid!  What could be better?”

“It’s not good, Angel,” War said.  “When she left, he was devastated.  He was just starting to come out of his depression, and now she’s back.  How will he be when she leaves again?”

“Who says she has to leave?” Lucifer asked.  “After all, Sachi should do as she likes.  If she wants to stay, I see no reason why she can’t --”

“It’s not that simple, Angel --”

“Angel!”  Healing’s yell interrupted the conversation.  Both angel and giant turned to see the healer on his porch, beckoning to them.  “Sachi’s awake!”

 


	11. Plans Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super huge thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme! You rock!

 

 

When Lucifer and War ran into the house, they found Sachiel sitting up on the bedding, with Healing taking a seat next to her on the floor.  Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying, and her face was pale, but otherwise she looked as calm as ever.  She looked up at her brother as he sat down beside her.

“Lucifer,” she whispered.  “I’m glad to see that you aren’t in Hell.”

Relief shot through him at her words.  She seemed all right....  Taking her hand in his, he smiled gently at her.  “Come, my dear!  You know nothing keeps a good Devil down.”  His eyes intense, he asked, “Can you tell me what happened to my family after I was taken downstairs?”

“Barachiel took them somewhere -- Chloe, Trixie, your father, and Raphael, as well.”  She was quiet a moment as she thought hard.  “I don’t know where, but....”

“But?”

“When I saw into Father’s mind, I saw a place.  It might be where they are being held.”

“Splendid!  We’ve wasted enough time.  Come along!  Chop, chop!”  He rose to his feet, and helped her to hers.  Healing and War also rose, caught by surprise by the sudden movement.

“You’ll be careful?” Healing asked with concern.  “Sachi just got over a major injury --”

Lucifer grinned as he started dragging Sachiel toward the entryway.  “I’m always careful.”

“No, he’s not,” his sister threw over her shoulder, her eyes worried.

“Do you even have a plan?” War asked, following closely.

That stopped Lucifer dead in his tracks.  “Ah... a plan.  Right.”  Turning to the giant, he said confidently, “No, but that’s never stopped me before.”

Healing rolled his eyes while War just shook his head.  “Never go into battle without a plan,” the war god admonished.

“I don’t have time!” Lucifer snapped.  He slid the door open and stepped outside.  Squinting, he studied the sky which continued to brighten as he watched.  “Bloody hell, the sun’s coming up already....”

“Here,” War said, pulling his short sword out of his belt and handing it to the fallen angel.  “You’re going to need this.  Swordsmith made this especially for me.  It’s a special sword that can cut through almost anything, so be careful.  Mind that you don’t destroy the world with it.”  Chuckling, he added, “I’d give you my long sword, but you obviously can’t handle that.  This one’s just your size.”

Lucifer’s jaw dropped at the gift while the insult went right over his head.  He had seen the swords of this plane -- blades of beauty and power, and extremely well made.  They were not things one gave away lightly.  “Bloody hell, man!  I... I can’t take this.”

The giant smiled and clasped his hand on the fallen angel’s shoulder.  “You’re family, Angel.  I can’t help you because we’re tied to this plane, but I want to.  The others would want to help, as well.”

Lucifer just gaped at him as warmth spread through his chest, then worked its way up his neck and into his cheeks.  He’d never had anyone give him such a beautiful weapon before.  His own family would have never....

Cutting off that line of thinking, he took the sword with shaky hands.  It fit well in his hands, although the hilt was slightly thicker than he was used to, and its length was longer than a standard issue sword from Hell.  He drew it from its scabbard and admired the polished, glinting metal before resheathing it and tucking it in his belt.  “I’ll take good care of it.”  Bloody hell, what was that burning behind his eyes?  Obviously dust, or allergies....

Thumping Lucifer so hard on the back that he nearly knocked him over, War said, “Any time you need to beat on something, I’ll be here for you, cousin.  I enjoy a good workout.”

With that, the giant strode away.

Cousin?  A smile grew on the fallen angel’s face as a fierce joy flooded him.  Cousin!

Healing grinned at Lucifer and said, “Lucky Angel.  War doesn’t give his weapons to just anybody.  Consider yourself one of the privileged few.  Now come back if you start feeling... anxious about your stint in Hell.  I’m here for you, brother -- as is the rest of the Family.  Remember that.”

The fallen angel nodded, touched beyond words that Chloe’s family was so good to him.

With a hard glance loaded with meaning, the healer continued, “Now take good care of your sister, okay?”   _Or I will somehow come after you,_ was the unspoken message.  Lucifer’s eyebrows went up at the other man’s protective attitude, and then he smiled.  Healing really _did_ like Sachiel....

When the god shifted his gaze to the angel, his expression became somewhat strained.  “Be happy, Sachi.”  With a short bow of his head, he went inside his house and slid the door shut.

Lucifer blinked at Healing’s abrupt exit, then glanced at his sister, whose eyes had suddenly grown suspiciously bright.  Was she crying?  Did... did she like the god, as well?  Bloody hell, if only Chloe were with him!  She would have all this... emotional mess sorted out!  Chloe....  The thought of her brought a painful ache to his chest.  He missed her terribly.

Enough of this maudlin sentimentality!  Shaking himself hard, he reached out to his sister, intent on getting down to business.  Yet he surprised himself when he said in a gentle tone, “Come on, Sis.  Let’s go.”

Sachiel reluctantly took his hand, and they took off for home.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Although Hal had left by the time Lucifer and Sachiel returned to the flat, Amenadiel had just returned from Heaven.  The angel looked relieved to see his sister alive and well.

“Sachi!  How do you feel?” he greeted her with a smile and a hug, while Lucifer strode off to change out of his Old God finery and into some trousers.

“Alive,” she said quietly.  “Thankful.”

Maze walked up to the angel and gave her a once-over.  “Well, it looked like you survived all right.  I thought you’d be dead.”

“Yes, yes, yes, enough with the pleasantries,” Lucifer interrupted as he returned and guided everyone to the living room couch.  “Let’s get down to business, shall we?”

After the angels and demon took their seats on the couch and he took his customary spot in his armchair, the fallen angel leaned forward and asked, “Sachi, can you tell me what exactly you saw when you peeked into Dad’s mind?  Can you tell me what the bloody hell is going on?”

Sachiel closed her eyes.  “His mind was... jumbled.  Lots of emotion.  Pain.  Suffering.  Sorrow.  Guilt.  Madness.”  When she opened her eyes, her brother could see the horror of what she saw reflected in them.  “Quite a bit of madness... but....”

“But?” prompted Amenadiel.

“There were some clear memories as well.  Barachiel in the solar, asking Father to go with him.  A place -- a house on Earth.  Barachiel told Father that... he had big plans.”

“What kind of plans?” Lucifer asked, cocking his head.  When she hesitated, he pressed, “Come on, sis.  I know it’s hard, but tell me what you saw.”

For a long moment Sachiel was quiet, before she finally took a deep breath and said, “I can’t be sure, because Father’s mind was such a jumble, but... I believe Barachiel said he wanted to take back the Earth from the humans.  He said he would eliminate Father once he had full control of everything and everyone.  That’s when Father ran to find you for help.  You’re the only one on Earth he could remember.”

Lucifer leaned back, shock written all over his face.  “Bloody hell!  What could that bloody prick be thinking?  Take back the Earth?!  And what would happen to the humans?”

Sachiel said nothing, only looked at her brother grimly.

Maze suddenly grinned.  “Well, this is an interesting development.  Never did care for humans.”

“So you’d rather live among angels, I take it?” her boyfriend asked her, causing the demon to hiss angrily.

“Are you sure, Sachi?” asked the fallen angel.

“That’s what was in Father’s head.  Remember -- he _is_ mad.  I don’t know how much is truth and how much is delusion.”

Shooting his sister a look full of resolve, the Devil said, “Right.  We can’t assume it’s a bloody delusion.  We have to assume the worst and work up from there.”  Turning to Amenadiel, he asked, “What did you find out in Heaven?”

“Nothing good, I’m afraid,” his brother answered.  “Barachiel has apparently created a new class of warriors culled from the Warrior Elite, called the Enforcers.  They are loyal only to him.  I was able to find out from Selaphiel that he’s also told the Council and everyone there that you were the one who kidnapped Father.”

“What?!” Maze snarled.

Lucifer wasn’t surprised by that revelation.  “Bloody hell, I had suspected as much from that sodding bastard.  What else?”

“He told everyone he had locked you up, but he feared that you might be planning something horrible against the humans.”  Taking a deep breath, the angel added, “He told everyone you had created a Nephilim with Chloe and that you were planning on unleashing it upon the world.”

_“What?!”_ the fallen angel roared.  “He said _what?!”_

“Selaphiel said the Council was in an uproar, but Barachiel said he’d use the Enforcers to find her and the baby.  Everyone was quite relieved to hear that.”

“Right, I’m going to tear that traitorous prick limb from limb!” roared Lucifer, his rage so great that he burned like fire.  “I’ll punish that sodding bastard if it’s the last thing I do!”

“Calm down, Luci.  Getting angry now isn’t going to help anything,” Amenadiel said.

Taking a deep breath, his fallen brother tried his best to calm down.  “Of course.  The first thing we need to do is rescue my family and Rafe.”

“And Father,” added his brother.

“What are your plans, Lucifer?” Sachiel asked.  “How are we going to find where they’re being held?  I think the house is where they’re at, but I don’t have an address -- only a picture in my head.”

“Bloody hell,” he muttered, thinking hard.  “Right.  Can you give us the image?  Then we can all split up and search for it.  Hopefully there will be something about it that will stand out.”

Nodding, the angel placed a hand on Maze’s forehead.  With a hiss, the demon pulled away at first, before relaxing marginally.  A pink light flared from Sachiel’s hand for a second, before fading away.  The demon blinked.

“Ugh, I hate people poking around in my head,” she snapped, “but at least I can see the house.  Butt ugly, if you ask me.”

Sachiel went to Amenadiel next and implanted the memory of the house in his mind.  He ran his hand over his forehead with frustration.

“That is the most nondescript house I’ve ever seen,” he moaned.

“Which is bloody well why they chose it,” Lucifer said as his sister went to him next.  “What better way to hide than to not draw attention to yourself?”

Closing his eyes, Lucifer tried to concentrate on the image Sachiel had given him.  It was a typical California structure -- two story wood frame with stucco.  A somewhat ugly yellow color.  Gray asphalt shingles on the roof....  The area looked overgrown with chapparal.  A white fence lined the property -- horse country.  Was there a bloody house number somewhere?  If he could see that, it would narrow their search down drastically.  There, on the side column....

The fallen angel’s eyes flew open, and he grinned excitedly.  “I’ve got a bloody house number.  32006.  It’s in horse country, which could mean anywhere in the foothills, or perhaps the Inland Empire, but let’s try the foothills first.  Hopefully they are trying to stick close to Los Angeles.  It will probably be somewhere somewhat isolated, since they’ll want privacy.  Split up and meet back here at noon.  We’ll have to get Hal, as well -- I did promise that bloody storm god that he’d be part of this.”

“And once we find them?” asked Amenadiel.

“Right....  We have to get everyone to safety, then get Barachiel taken care of.”  Lucifer grinned; it was not a pleasant sight.  “I’ll throw that self-righteous prick into a cell in Hell, but not before I tear him to pieces.”

“Oooh, sounds positively delicious.  I’d love to torture an angel,” said the demon.

“You’ll have your chance, Maze,” Lucifer said wickedly.  “There can’t be enough punishment for that prick.”

“And all of his angel soldiers?” Sachiel asked.  “There were a lot of them.”

“Bloody hell.  Right.  Well, we’ll think of something.  But first we must get everyone to safety -- that’s the first priority.  Understood?”

Everyone nodded.  Pleased, Lucifer said, “Then let’s go find our house.”

 


	12. The Raid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super-huge thank you to my wonderful beta, ScooterThyme, who picked up all of my repeated phrases and whatnot and really made this chapter shine -- thank you!!

 

 

The house was in Agua Dulce, a small town located near Vasquez Rocks.  The sun beat down on the arid, rocky landscape.  There were some trees and shrubs, but the area lacked the lush, manmade greenery of Los Angeles.  Many of the houses were nestled in the foothills, on large portions of land.

Up high on a ridge, Lucifer, Maze, Amenadiel and Hal surveyed their surroundings, as well as the yellow house below them.  After arming themselves with weapons from Hell -- and in Lucifer’s case, his new sword -- the angels had flown, Amenadiel with his demon girlfriend in his arms, to the foothills.  Hal, who had driven his SUV, met them there.  Sachiel stayed behind to recuperate at the flat.  Once they had all gathered, they hiked together up the hill that overlooked the property where Yahweh had been held.

Lucifer could see why Barachiel would choose this place as a hideout.  The houses were very spread out, providing quite a bit of privacy.  The landscape was pretty barren, leaving the area open to view, for easy visibility of attackers.  The landscaping was dry, dusty, forbidding... almost as bad as the desert.  


“So that’s where they are?” Hal asked as they stared down at the house sitting in the middle of a large piece of flat, lifeless land. 

“It’s the only bloody place they could be,” Lucifer answered.  “If they were in Heaven, someone would find them.  If they were in Hell, the demons would have a field day with them.  No... they have to be here on Earth --  _ in there. _  I’m sure there are wards placed around the property to make it appear abandoned.” 

“How many angels do you think Barachiel has in there?” Amenadiel asked.

“More than you’re expecting, I’m sure,” Hal growled.  


“Let’s just storm the damn place.”  Maze started to stand, but Lucifer held her back.  


“Bloody hell, hold on!  We have to make sure my family is safe.  Stealth is the key.”

“Well, let me see what I can do,” Hal said as he studied the clear blue sky above.  Squinting at the air around him, he nodded to himself, then closed his eyes.  Five minutes passed, but nothing happened.  Reopening his eyes, the storm god cursed.  “Goddamn dry California weather -- I’ll have to pull moisture from the sea, and it’ll take a bit of time.”

“Bloody hell, maybe your powers are slipping in your old age,” Lucifer muttered.  Hal glared at him.

“Shut up, you ass -- I’m not old.  Would you rather do this yourself, little winged man?” he bit out.

“Come on, guys, don’t argue,” Amenadiel admonished.  “Just... do your stuff, Hal.”

Giving a last glare at the fallen angel, Hal closed his eyes once again.  


At first there was nothing.  Lucifer shifted uneasily, worried that they would have to storm the house without cover.  Bloody hell, maybe he shouldn’t have brought the mouthy storm god, after all....  Then gradually, he noticed a slight breeze from the southwest.  As minutes passed, it grew stronger.  Looking in the direction of the air current, Lucifer was surprised to see a thick bank of fog rolling in like a giant tidal wave covering the land.  


Smiling triumphantly, Hal said, “And here we go.”

In less than a minute, the thick fog had surrounded them, its murky vapor so dense that the Devil couldn’t even see his own hand in front of his face.

“Bloody hell, how are we going to raid the house if we can’t even see in front of us?” he complained.

The storm god rolled his eyes.  “Details, details....”  with a wave of his hand, a tunnel of clear air that led straight to the house appeared in the miasma.

The four of them took off running through the tunnel, confident that the fog would hide them from the angels who were sure to be guarding the place.  When they reached the house, Amenadiel broke through the front door, which brought a feral smile to Maze’s lips.  They poured into the house, to be met with a flock of angels with black wings.

Maze spun into action, kicking and slashing with her knives.  Amenadiel jumped in after her, barreling into two angels that were about to attack her from behind.  The guards flew around them like an angry swarm of bees, pitching and swooping at the foursome.  Hal swung angrily at them with the knife he had gotten from the duffel bag from Hell, striking a few.  One made the mistake of trying to tackle him; the angry god punched him in the face and brought him down with a crash.

Lucifer worked his way inside, drawing his sword and striking out at any attackers.  The sword sang with power, cleaving opposing swords in two with one strike and easily slicing angels in half.  The warriors, recognizing that the fallen angel’s sword was a far more powerful weapon than they had ever seen, avoided him in hand-to-hand combat.  Opting to fight from a distance, they threw spears and knives at him, instead.

One knife slipped past his guard and caught him in the shoulder.  With a snarl he wrenched it out and threw it back at one of the warriors, who caught it and threw it back.  The Devil dodged the blade and ran toward his attacker, who suddenly turned and ran.  He followed in hot pursuit, his blood raging with berserker fury, but once outside, angel took flight and disappeared into the mist.  Cursing madly, the Lucifer rushed back into the house.

When he got inside, he found all the other attackers either dead or subdued by Amenadiel, Maze and Hal.  Nodding to them, he sheathed his sword and started searching the house.  The downstairs yielded nothing.  The fallen angel climbed the stairs and started searching the second floor.

Two locked doors at the far end of the house seemed promising.  Lucifer smashed through the one on his left.  As he ripped aside the splintered wood of the door, he heard a familiar cry.

“Lucifer!”

Beatrice ran into him full-tilt, nearly knocking him over as she wrapped her arms around his waist and sobbed like there was no tomorrow.  Picking up the little girl, he gave her a big hug.

“Sorry I’m late, child.  Are you all right?”

“Uh huh!” she said with a smile as she wiped her tears away.  


Lucifer glanced away from the little girl to see a room completely devoid of furniture. In one corner, next to a barred window, Chloe slowly got to her feet, her face tired and strained.  His father was curled up in a little ball next to her, rocking and whimpering.

For a moment he found himself hesitating, fear welling up inside him that she would be angry that he hadn’t come soon enough, that he had let her get taken in the first place....  Fear that she hated him for it.  A tightness constricted his chest so hard he thought he was having a heart attack.

But then her face broke into a smile so big that its brightness rivaled the sun, and Lucifer felt the tight band around his heart start to relax.  While still holding Trixie, he swiftly strode to his wife.  Like a drowning man holding onto a life preserver, he gathered her to him and held on for dear life.  Relief poured through him as he buried his face in her hair.  There was a suspicious burning behind his eyes, but he forced it away as she wrapped her arms tightly around him in an embrace just as desperate as his.

“Chloe,” he breathed.  “Are you all right?”

He felt her nod against his shoulder.  “We’re okay.  They haven’t hurt us.”  Pulling back so that she could see his face, she reached up and caressed his cheek.

He flinched.  He hadn’t meant to do that, but the demon in Hell had stroked his cheek often, and Chloe’s touch brought back bad memories.  Bloody hell, was he to be scarred for life from his stint in the cell?  What if he could never make love to his wife?  And would he always be afraid of losing her love?

Her hand faltered.  If his hands had been free, he would have pressed it against his cheek to prove he could still enjoy her touch, but they weren’t.  Instead he used words to help make things right.

“I love you.”

That caught her completely off-guard.  “Lucifer, what --”

“Don’t worry, love.  Just... touch me.  Kiss me.”

Because he still had Trixie in his arms, she pulled him down and kissed him gently on the cheek.  Not exactly what Lucifer wanted, but he understood it.  What he really wanted was a proper welcome from his wife.  Lowering the little girl to the ground, he wrapped his arms around Chloe and gave her a searing, passionate kiss that knocked the feet right out from under her.  When they parted, they were both breathless.  Lucifer leaned his forehead against hers briefly, thankful that her desire for him was still there.  His rational brain knew it would be, but his heart had been uncertain.

While Trixie went to attend to Yahweh, Chloe reached over and placed a hand on his wounded shoulder.  A white glow flared from her hand, and in less than a minute the wound had closed.  Lucifer kissed her cheek in thanks.

Glancing at his father now sobbing with Trixie in his arms, he asked, “How’s Dad?”

Chloe followed his gaze.  “Pretty traumatized.  He’s in bad shape.”

“We’ll get you all home.  Where’s Rafe?”

His wife’s brow furrowed.  “Rafe?  He’s here?  We did hear -- screaming at one point, but....  I haven’t seen him....”

Lucifer frowned.  “Bloody hell!  I hope he’s still alive.  Sachiel said he had been taken, as well....”

“Rafe?!  Why Rafe?”

“It certainly is puzzling,” he said.  Perhaps the other locked door....

Disengaging himself from his wife’s embrace, he strode out the splintered door and turned to the locked one.  A part of his brain wondered why, if Raphael was in there, he hadn’t just broken out, since he was an angel and had angelic strength.  The thought of screaming sent a shiver up his spine.  A bad feeling started to creep over him as he made quick work of the door, breaking it open with ease.

The room was just as devoid of furniture as the other one was, but there were dried blood stains all over the carpet and walls.  In the center of the room lay an angel -- or what once was an angel.  His wings had been hacked off, leaving only stumps on his back while what was left of his wings were chopped into small pieces and strewn about the room.  The sight made Lucifer want to vomit.  Swallowing hard to hold back the bile, he yelled for Chloe as he rushed to his brother.

“Rafe!” Lucifer cried as he kneeled beside the angel.  He wanted to turn the healer over, but he was afraid to touch him.  So much blood, such horrible wounds --

A strangled cry sounded behind him, and then Chloe was there next to him, shock making her eyes huge in a face far too white.

“Mommy, is everything all right?” Trixie called from the other room.

“J-just fine, monkey.  Just stay there, all right?” she called back to her daughter before turning to the mangled angel before her.  “Rafe,” she said gently as she touched his shoulder and tried to rouse him.  “Can you hear me?”

The angel stirred.  When he opened his eyes, they were cloudy with pain.  “H-hello, C-Chloe.”

“What have they done to you?” she cried.  He just groaned.

“Can you heal him?” Lucifer asked desperately.  


“I can try --”

“Luci!  We have to get out of here, now!” Amenadiel yelled from the bottom of the stairs.  “That guard who escaped is sure to be bringing reinforcements!”

“Bollocks,” the Devil snarled.  Giving his wife an anxious look, he said, “Right.  I’m going to lift him.  Don’t let the child see this -- get her and Dad to Hal.  He’ll take you all home.  I’ll see you at the flat.   No, wait -- the flat’s not safe.  Hal’s place.  Have him drive you to his place.  I’ll meet you there.”

With a sharp nod of her head, Chloe took off running for the other room.

Very gently, Lucifer rolled his brother to his side.  Raphael squeezed his eyes shut and groaned.  “Sorry, Rafe,” he whispered as he maneuvered him into his arms.  Not only had his wings been cut off, he had been beaten black and blue.  A horrible, burning fury ripped through Lucifer -- an anger so great that he thought he would explode then and there.  How could Barachiel do this to his own brother?!  Lucifer couldn’t understand it.  True, he had had Maze cut off his own wings, but that had been his own choice, and she certainly hadn’t butchered his wings afterward.  Or had Barachiel chopped at the wings while they were still on Rafe’s back, hacking away until there was nothing left?!

The thought made him want to vomit all over again.  


“You’re going to be all right,” he soothed as best as he could.  At least, he hoped his brother would be all right.  Surely Chloe could heal him?  


Only another groan answered him.

“We’re going to get you safe,” he said as he lifted the angel in his arms.  Striding quickly through the broken door and down the stairs, he met Amenadiel and Maze.  Hal and Lucifer’s family had already left.

Amenadiel hissed through his teeth at the sight of Raphael, and even Maze looked ill.  


“I’m taking him to Hal’s house,” Lucifer said firmly.  “The flat’s not safe.  Get Sachiel and meet us there.  Make sure you’re not followed.”

Spreading his wings wide, he launched himself into the air and cut his way through the fog that was quickly dissipating.

 


	13. Hiding at Hal's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super-huge thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme! You rock!!

 

 

Hal’s house in the San Gabriel Valley was an unassuming, one story place that resembled every other house on the block -- the perfect place to hide.  The inside was neat and somewhat spartan -- much like its owner.  Although it was a fairly big space for one man, with three bedrooms and two full baths, it seemed to shrink when all of them took refuge in it.

Lucifer couldn’t say Hal was pleased, being invaded at his own home by angels, humans, a mad god and a demon, but he made no complaints.  In fact, he was a very good host, telling his guests to make themselves comfortable, while putting Trixie and Yahweh in the spare bedroom with the Disney Channel on the television there.

There had been one tense moment when Hal finally confronted Yahweh in the house -- the fallen angel was sure the storm god was going to kill his father on the spot.  The older man had circled the god like a hawk sizing up prey, before grabbing Yahweh’s robes and yanking him close.  For a long moment they stared at each other before the mad god started weeping and howling.  Hal had tossed him aside with disgust after that.

He then offered his own bedroom to the injured Raphael, leading the way as Lucifer carried the healer.

“Sorry to impose on you like this, old man,” the fallen angel said as he lowered his injured brother onto the bed and rolled him onto his stomach.

“Don’t call me old,” Hal snapped.  “I know you just wanted to come here to get into my liquor cabinet.”

“Well, one would expect good alcohol, since you _are_ old,” Lucifer replied as he laid a concerned hand on Raphael’s shoulder.  “Far older than me, and cranky to boot --”

“You want my fist in your face?”

“I’d like to see you try --”

“Stop it, you children!”  Chloe’s voice rang out from behind them, causing them both to turn and look at her.  “I mean, really,” she snarled.  “We have an injured angel here and all you can think of is punching each other in the face?!”  She pushed past them, then shoved them out of the room.  “Get out, both of you.  Out!”

The door slammed in their faces once they were outside.  Both Hal and Lucifer exchanged glances before looking away from each other sheepishly.  Giving a snort, the storm god walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two old-fashioned glasses.  “Glenfiddich Janet Sheed Roberts Reserve, 1955,” he said as he poured the alcohol into the glasses.  “Tasty.  Drink it all and I’ll kill you.”

“Ooh, the good stuff!” Maze cried as she sauntered over, pulling Amenadiel along with her.  Hal spotted them and, with a big sigh, pulled out two more glasses.  Raising an eyebrow, he looked at Sachiel in the corner, but she shook her head.

“Will we be safe here?” she asked quietly.  “They... won’t find us?”

Hal snorted.  “You think I want little winged men watching my every move?  Listen, lady, there are so many wards planted out there that you’d be hardpressed not to walk on one.”  Glancing at them all with disgust, he downed his whiskey and muttered, “And now that you all know where I live, I’ll have to move....”

Despite the wretched situation they were in, Lucifer found that he was still able to laugh.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Chloe looked over Raphael and felt her heart break.  A part of her wanted to throw up from her friend’s injuries, but she forced herself to be strong.  She had to be strong, to heal him.  Rafe had done so much for her, saving her life time and again, that she just had to be able to help him!

As she pulled up a chair to sit beside him, the angel opened one eye and looked at her.

“Hello, Chloe,” he whispered.

“Hello, Rafe,” she greeted back and carefully eased his chestnut brown hair away from his face.

“D-don’t heal me,” he said clearly.

That was not what she was expecting him to say.  Staring at him dumbfounded, she asked, “Why not?”

“You need me... injured.”

Her eyes narrowed.  “There’s no way I’m not going to heal you, Rafe.”

“You don’t understand.”  With a groan, Raphael pushed himself to his side, so that he could look at her more clearly.  “Barachiel... he told me... when he was butchering me... that he wants your baby.  His plan was to keep you, until you were... ready to give birth.  He wanted me to deliver it, but didn’t want me up to full strength.  It’s why he... maimed me.”

“But you can’t --”

“No,” the angel said.  “Please.  Just hear me out.”

Biting her lower lip, Chloe nodded.  “Okay.  Talk.  It better be good, otherwise I _am_ healing you.”

Raphael coughed and squeezed his eyes shut to control the pain.  “Barachiel is convinced the baby will be... a Nephilim.  He wants... it to be... under his control.  He wants to destroy the world with it.  He’s insane -- has to be stopped.  Use... use me to stop him.  I-I can testify against him -- show the Council what he’s done to me --but not if you heal me.”  Taking a deep breath, he continued with a ghost of a smile: “You can heal me later... or better yet, take me to your b-brother.  I’d really like to meet him.”

“Rafe --”

“Please.  It’s the only way to stop him.  N-no one will believe, otherwise.”

Chloe sighed unhappily.  “I see your point.  Very well, Rafe.  But as soon as this is over, you’re going to get healed, whether you like it or not!”

“Deal,” he said and closed his eyes.

Leaving the angel to rest, she went back out to the living room, where everyone turned expectantly toward her.  She shook her head.  “He doesn’t want to be healed,” she said, and quickly told them what Raphael had told her.

“Bloody hell,” Lucifer growled, while Hal started heading toward the master bedroom.

“Stupid little winged man, wanting to do things properly,” he muttered under his breath.  “Why not just go and gut the bastard?  But no... has to testify.”  In a louder voice, he told the others, “I’m going to do what I can for the stupid angel’s wounds.  Anyone want to help?”

Amenadiel jumped forward.  “I will.”

As they left, Lucifer snapped, “That sodding bastard, threatening you, butchering Rafe -- I’ll kill him!”

Quickly walking to her husband’s side, Chloe shushed him with a hug.  “We’ll get him, husband.  He won’t get away with this.  Promise me you won’t do anything stupid, like running after him on your own.”

An indignant look crossed the fallen angel’s face as his eyes glowed a fierce red.  “But he needs to be punished --”

She glared at him with narrowed eyes.  “Promise me you’re not going after him on your own.  _Promise me.”_   When it looked like he wasn’t going to comply, she took his hand in hers, and placed it on her belly.  “Our baby needs you in one piece, husband.  Promise me.”

For a moment it looked like he was going to argue, but finally he relented.  “Fine.  Fine!  I promise I won’t go off on my own.  Bloody hell, love, I can’t stay angry when you do things like that.”

Relief washed through her.  “I know,” she said just as softly and kissed his stubble-lined cheek.

“I want to testify against Barachiel as well,” Sachiel said.

Chloe nodded.  “That’s a good idea.  We can present a united front to the Council.”

Although the fallen angel looked unhappy, he said, “Yes, I suppose so.”

“That’s assuming they’ll even let you near Heaven, Lucifer,” Maze snapped as she downed her shot of whiskey and poured herself another.  “You’re forgetting that they think that _you_ kidnapped your father.”

“Shite.”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“We do need a way to get to the Council,” Chloe said.  “But going up there would be suicide --”

“Then how do we get to them?” Lucifer asked, frustrated as he broke away from her embrace and sat down on the couch.

Taking a seat next to him, she picked up his hand and laced it with hers.  “We’ll find a way.”

“If you’re going to do disgusting stuff, I’m leaving,” Maze snarled as she headed for the spare bedroom where Trixie and Yahweh were.  “I’d rather watch maudlin cartoons than watch you two have at it.  Ugh!”

“I’ll see how the others are doing with Raphael,” Sachiel said and quietly left for the master bedroom.

Lucifer gazed down at his wife, a soft, gentle expression on his face.  “Chloe....”

As she leaned into him, she lifted her free hand and went to stroke his cheek -- and he flinched away.  Her smile fell and her eyes narrowed at his movement.

Lucifer felt heat enter his cheeks as shame filled him.  This was his wife!  He was no longer in Hell!  But a strange kind of tension was slowly building in him.  Recognizing it as nervousness, he did his best to relax.  There was the fear, too... fear that she no longer loved him.  Irrational as it was, he couldn’t seem to set it aside.  He knew Healing had helped him with the anger and the fear that he might hurt her, but the god hadn’t been able to do anything about the hurt.  And perhaps that was good -- maybe he needed love and reassurance from Chloe that all was back to normal... well, as normal as normal could be, in these circumstances.

He leaned forward to kiss her, but she pulled back, sliding him a suspicious, sidelong glance.  “What’s going on?”

“Ah....”

“Talk to me, Lucifer.  Why are you flinching when I try to touch you?”

“Have... have I told you how beautiful you look today, love?” he asked as he pasted a smile on his face.

That just made Chloe’s eyes narrow even more.  “Tell me, Lucifer,” she said as she shook his arm a little.

Heaving a sigh, he pulled his hand from hers and leaned against the couch backrest unhappily as he looked away.  “I don’t want to,” he finally said reluctantly.

“They took you to Hell, didn’t they?” she asked.  Then, worriedly, she reached out and pressed her hand against his face, causing him to flinch again.  This time, she didn’t pull away.  “Is this... your glamour?  Is that why you don’t want me touching you?”

Shooting her a surprised look, he said, “No!  No.  I took Sachiel to your brother for help.  He healed us both.”

“So then why....?”

He was silent so long that Chloe began to wonder if perhaps he didn’t hear her.  When he finally spoke, it wasn’t what she expected.

“Do you ever wonder what Hell is like?” he asked her, with his face still averted.

She blinked.  “Well... not really.  I mean, I’ve been down there, and I’ve seen the cells, but never any actual torture....”  She shrugged.  “Mazikeen is a demon, and so was Paimon, so I know there are demons down there, but....”

“The whole bloody plane is filled with cells as far as the eye can see, for there is an infinite number of souls down there.  Sometimes the souls ask -- no, beg -- to be tortured, for they know where they are, and they know they’ve done wrong.  Other times, they refuse to believe they’ve done anything wrong.  At any rate, into the cells they go.  It’s where their punishment transpires.”

Closing his eyes, he continued, “The cell... knows what the occupant most desires and uses it as torture.  The cell will call the demons to it, and have them do what needs to be done.”

A terrible feeling of dread started to overcome Chloe, for surely he wouldn’t be telling her this without a good reason.  As the blood drained from her face, she asked to be sure: “Why are you telling me this?”

He finally looked at her then, his eyes filled with pain.  “Barachiel... put me in a cell, love.”  As she stared at him in shock, he said, “They tortured me... with you.”

“Oh my god, Lucifer --”

At her horrified look, he struggled to ease her distress.  His voice came out in frantic spurts.  “But I’m better now, love!  Well, mostly.  It’s just... the demon who wore your face... often stroked my cheek.   And told me... she hated me.  I... I have a hard time forgetting --”

“Oh my poor Devil,” Chloe breathed as she pulled him into her arms and hugged him tightly.  Tears leaked out of her eyes as she thought of the horrors that her husband must have gone through.  She couldn’t even imagine....  But she had to be strong for him.  Quickly blinking her tears away, she asked,  “How can I help you?  How can I make this right?”

“Just... love me,” he whispered as he buried his face in her hair.  “Love me, Chloe.”

“I do, you know I do,” she said as she pulled his head down to hers and kissed him with all the love she had inside of her.  He responded passionately, deepening the kiss as desire spiraled through his body, burning every inch of him.  How wonderful it felt to have her in his arms again, to feel her body against his!  It felt like it had been centuries... and it had.  He wanted this moment to last forever.  His hands started working at her shirt, trying to free it from her body as he --

“Ehem.”

They both broke apart to see Hal standing over them, looking disgruntled.  “If you’re going to make out, don’t do it on my couch.  Please.  I’d have to burn it after you were done.”

“Ah... yes.  Right,” Lucifer said as heat washed into his cheeks.  “Sorry, old man --”

“Don’t call me old!” the storm god snapped.  “I’m going to get some pizza for everyone, because it’s dinner time, _not_ make out time, and there’s a whole goddamned flock of you in my house.  I’ll be back.”

Lucifer watched Hal storm through the front door and slam it shut.  Turning to his wife, he said, “Bloody hell, he needs a woman.  Is Penelope available?”

Despite the wretched situation they were in, Chloe found that she was still able to laugh.

 


	14. Going to Confront Barachiel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A very big thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme! You totally rock!!

 

 

Lucifer stared up at the dark ceiling as he lay on the floor, his mind reflecting on the day’s events.  Dad was sleeping on the only bed in the room, while Amenadiel and he lay bunked out on sleeping bags.  Hal had gone to sit with Raphael.

After dinner, their little group had decided to try to get in touch with the Council in the morning, by heading up there and requesting an audience.  Well, everyone else had -- he hadn’t.  He had his own plans, so he stayed mum about making any promises.  No one seemed to notice that he had little to say, which was how he wanted it.

As it got late, Hal had done his best to accommodate everyone with the sleeping arrangements.  Women in one room, men in another, because he only had three bedrooms, one of which was occupied by Raphael, and it was easier than trying to get everyone their own space.  He also said he wasn’t big on a gigantic angel orgy in his house, which made Lucifer laugh.

Lucifer had desperately wanted to make love to Chloe after dinner, but she was inclined to go along with Hal’s wishes, so no sex.  It made sense that she didn’t want to have sex in her celestial relative’s house with her daughter and so many others close by, but still, it caused tendrils of fear to crawl up his spine.  Perhaps... she didn’t want to have sex with him anymore...?  

No.  He shut down that line of thinking.  It wasn’t that she didn’t want to have sex with him.  Surely it was just circumstances...?  Yes, he told himself, that was right.  Besides, he couldn’t afford to make love with her yet -- he had to deal with first things first.  There was punishment to be doled out.  He would take care of Barachiel -- that bloody sod -- and then he would have the most joyous homecoming sex ever!

Going to Heaven to talk to the Council about the archangel was out of the question.  That was bloody suicide, and he had no intention of getting himself killed before he confronted Barachiel.  No, the best thing to do was to face the problem head on -- draw his damn brother out and attack him.  Since he had given his word to Chloe that he wouldn’t go after the sod alone, he’d have to take someone with him.

Turning his head, his eyes fell on his brother.  Would Amenadiel be up to confronting an archangel?  Probably not -- his brother was such a stick in the mud -- but if he could get Maze to come with them, Amenadiel would surely follow!  Congratulating himself on his splendid plan, he started poking his brother until he woke.

“Whaaaat,” Amenadiel mumbled with annoyance as he rolled over.

“I need your help, bro,” Lucifer whispered.  “Can you stop time for a spell?”

His brother propped himself on his elbows and gave the Devil a suspicious glance.  “Why?”

“I’ll explain after you do it.  Meet me in the living room.”

Rolling his eyes, Amenadiel sat up and prayed.  Immediately time stilled.

Lucifer hopped to his feet and sneaked into the women’s room.  His eyes lovingly caressed Chloe sleeping in bed with Trixie before he gave himself a good shake and remembered why he was there.  Hissing to his demon until she woke up, he beckoned her into the living room where her boyfriend awaited.

“What the hell is going on?” Maze snarled.  Once she caught sight of Amenadiel, she gave a feral smile and said, “Ooooh, are we going to have some sex on the sly?”

“There will be time for that later, Maze,” Lucifer said.  Giving her a smirk, he asked, “Are you interested in shelling out some punishment?”

The demon’s eyes lit up with unholy glee as Amenadiel cast his brother a dark look and said, “No, Luci.  No, please don’t tell me --”

“I want to go after Barachiel -- challenge him out in the open and punish him.  For that, I need help from both of you.”

“I’m in,” Maze immediately said.

“Why do you need my help?” Amenadiel asked suspiciously.

Placing an arm around his brother’s shoulders, Lucifer said cajolingly, “Because, dear brother, I need you to call up our favorite archangel and have him meet us somewhere.”

“Uh-uh, no way, we agreed that we would meet the Council in the morning --”

_ “You _ agreed.  I did not.”  Cocking his head and giving a devilish smile, he said, “Come on, Amenadiel.  You know you want to!  Just think of how satisfying it would be --”  When he saw that his brother remained unphased, Lucifer changed tactics.  Lowering his voice, he said as he pulled up his charm, “Come on -- what is it you truly desire, bro?”

Amenadiel glowered at him and didn’t answer, so Lucifer answered for him.

“Maze, right?”  He grinned.  “Just think!  If you do this, she would look upon you with so much desire and respect....”

Amenadiel cast a glance at his girlfriend as he wavered.

“Come on, don’t be a wuss,” she snarled, oblivious to the brothers’ private conversation.  “Let’s go punish the bastard.”

“Think of the sex,” Lucifer added softly, with a grin.

That did it.

“Okay, I’m in,” Amenadiel said.

The fallen angel’s face lit up like a beacon.  “Lovely!  Gather up your weapons!  Let’s go now while the world is asleep and time is standing still....”

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

“Chloe!”

Hal’s frantic whisper woke her up immediately.  Sitting up in bed, she asked, “What is it?  Is Trixie okay?”

“Trixie’s fine,” he whispered, nudging his chin in the direction of the little girl sleeping next to Chloe, “but your idiot husband is missing.”

_ “What?!” _

Jumping out of bed, she pushed her way past Hal and went into the other bedroom where the men were sleeping... or at least used to be sleeping.  The only one in the room was Yahweh, curled up in a little ball under the blankets and murmuring softly to himself.  Rushing back into her bedroom, she was dismayed to find Mazikeen also missing.

“You gotta be kidding me,” she muttered.  Grabbing Hal’s arm in a hard grip, she dragged him into the living room.  She could barely contain her anger as she ground out, “Tell me.”

“I went to sit with Raphael for a while.  When I came back, Lucifer and Amenadiel were gone.  I can only assume they went looking for Barachiel.”

Rubbing her hand on her forehead, she started calling her husband every curse word known to man.  When she finally finished her rant, she glared at the storm god and said, “We have to find them before they do something incredibly stupid.”

“Too late for that.  Now we have to keep them from making the situation colossally worse.”

Rolling her eyes, Chloe snapped, “Your comments are not helping.”  She sighed heavily as she put her hands on her hips.  “How are we going to find them?”

“I can help you with that.”

Raphael stood just inside the living room, swaying unsteadily on his feet.  His face was pale under all the cuts and bruises, but determined.  The bandages covering his stumps were tipped with red; they were bleeding again.

Rushing up to him, Chloe and Hal both grabbed a hold of him and helped steady him.

“Idiot angel, you shouldn’t be out of bed,” the storm god snapped.

“I was awake when time slowed down.  I knew something was up....”  Raphael tried to wave them off, but ended up sinking onto the closest couch.  His breath came out in hard pants, and sweat glistened on his brow, but his face was harsh and angry.  Chloe had never seen him look so... bitter.  Glancing at both of the Old Gods, he said,  “I can track them for you.”

“You’re too weak,” Chloe scolded.  “You have to get back into bed.”  Turning quickly, she said, “I’m getting Sachiel,” before hurrying back to the bedroom.

A minute later, the female angel joined them, her eyes concerned as she looked upon her brother’s countenance.  Chloe quickly explained what had transpired.

“I’ll track them,” Sachiel said firmly.  “Raphael, you need to stay here.”

But the healer was shaking his head.  “No, I can’t do that.  If they’re going to confront Barachiel, then we need to have the Council there to see the truth of the matter.  Take me with you, and I’ll try to call them down.  No guarantees without my wings, but I’ll try.”

Chloe studied Raphael, concerned at his pale complexion and the tightening of his face at the mention of his wingless state.  “I don’t know if that’s a good idea --”

_ “He maimed me. _  I would be like this forever if you didn’t have the power to heal me.  I have a right to be there.”  His calm voice belied the fury she saw in his eyes.  Chloe sighed with resignation.

“Okay, but we can’t leave Trixie and Yahweh alone in this house --”

“We’ll take them.  Hell, we’ll  _ all _ go.  It will be like a fricking family road trip,” Hal growled bitingly as he rolled his eyes.

Glaring daggers at the storm god, Chloe snapped, “Are you insane?!  I am not taking my daughter into a war zone!  I’ll drop her off at my mother’s.”

Hal laughed.  “I’d really like to see that!  You know how Yahweh is without Trixie nearby.  You’re going to have to drop them both off at your mother’s....  Is your mother capable of handling a mad god?”

“Oh god....”

“Exactly.”

Glaring at the storm god with narrow eyes, she spat, “You better make sure Trixie and Yahweh stay in a safe place at all times.  I’m entrusting you with their safety.”

The corner of his mouth quirked up.  “I’ll keep Trixie safe.  As for the mad fool... well....”  He shrugged.  At Chloe’s furious expression, he finally held up his hands and said, “Okay, okay!  I’ll watch over the old man, too.”

“Then let’s get going.  We have to make a slight detour -- I need my gun.”

“Fine.  Get your daughter and the madman and let’s all get the hell out of here.  There’s no time to lose.”  Muttering under his breath as he fetched his keys, Hal said, “I can’t believe I have to protect the Usurper.  I must be crazy....”

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Lucifer wanted somewhere remote to fight, so he chose the Angeles National Forest which lay in the foothills north of Los Angeles.  Flying over the forest as dawn was just breaking, he found a little area near Wildcat Gulch that was flat, isolated, and without too many trees.  There were some bushes, but for the most part, it was a good clearing near a creek.  He touched down first and surveyed the land, before motioning to his brother with Maze in his arms.

Nodding, Lucifer said, “This is as good a place as any.  Isolated.”  Turning to his brother after he landed, he asked, “Can you call the bloody sod?”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Amenadiel asked, which got him a punch in the face from Maze.

“Don’t you dare back out now,” she snarled, then pulled his head down in a violent kiss that had them falling on the sandy ground and tearing at each other’s clothes.

Lucifer rolled his eyes and sighed with ill-concealed impatience.  Clearing his throat, he said to dusty pair, “Bloody hell, can’t you wait to have sex until  _ after _ the battle?”

“Uh... oh.  Yeah.  Sorry, Luci,” the angel said as he stood up and straightened his clothes.  Maze only hissed as she got to her feet.

“You know there’s no guarantee that I’ll be able to reach him,” Amenadiel said.

“That sod will hear you,” his fallen brother said confidently.  “He bloody well knows by now we’ve freed their hostages.  Call him, and then you and Maze go hide somewhere.”

“Hide?!” spat the demon.

“Yes, Maze, he won’t be expecting you,” Lucifer said with a roll of his eyes.  “You can catch him him by surprise when the time is right.”  Pulling out the sheathed sword that was tucked in his belt, he handed it to Amenadiel.  “Hold this for me.  Don’t let Maze touch it.”

The demon’s eyes lit up as she admired War’s gift and started to reach for it, but her boyfriend held her at bay -- barely.

“Are you sure, Luci?  Confronting him unarmed is crazy!”

“If I’m armed, bro, I won’t get the answers I’m looking for.  Just... be ready to attack, okay?”

“You’re insane,” the angel muttered with disgust as he brought up one of his hands and prayed.

Lucifer made himself comfortable leaning on a rock as Amenadiel and Maze took off for the trees in the distance.  He imagined that the pair would be making out while waiting for Barachiel to come, which had him shaking his head and chuckling.

Ten minutes later, the air was filled with black-winged soldier angels and one archangel -- Barachiel.  With their swords drawn, the Enforcers surrounded the Devil as Barachiel landed inside the circle before him.

“I knew you would be calling me,” he said, and smiled.

 


	15. True Madness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super-huge thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme! You rock!! :D

 

 

“I knew you would be calling me,” Barachiel said with a smile.  Closing his eyes briefly, he opened them again and said, “I sense Amenadiel... leaving?”

Lucifer didn’t answer as he straightened off of the rock.  With a contemptuous laugh as he gestured to the soldiers surrounding him, he said, “Are these your... Enforcers?  I knew you didn’t have the bloody balls to confront me on your own.”

“So you know about them...?  Done your homework, I see,” the archangel said.

“I always do my homework.”  Cocking his head as he lifted his chin a bit he asked, “If you are planning on killing me, I think you should at least answer me one question, don’t you?”

Barachiel only snorted, but a smirk twisted his mouth.

“Right.  So let me see if I have this straight,” Lucifer said.  “You kidnapped Dad, told everyone in Heaven that I did it, then kidnapped my family because you want my unborn baby....  And you maimed Rafe.  My question is... why?”

“Why?  You mean you still don’t know?” the archangel said with a disbelieving laugh.

“Enlighten me.”

“I really don’t have to --”

“But you want to, don’t you?  Oh, come on, Bar.  I’m unarmed!  You’ve got a massive amount of bloody soldiers surrounding me.  What harm can I do you?  Come on, satisfy my curiosity.  Tell me why.”  When his brother just looked at him with a suspicious glance, Lucifer began to push with his charm.  “Isn’t this what you always wanted?  Desired?  A chance to show how great you are?  Come on, tell me.  Why?”

For a long moment the archangel hesitated.  Then, as if the temptation was too great, he said, “Father never appreciated my talents.  You and Michael always overshadowed me.  Orphiel and Raphael, too.  Even Gabriel, that coward.  How Father could overlook me in place of all of you -- I could never understand it.  True, you had brute strength behind you, but Gabriel?  Raphael?  Pah.

“When Father banished you, I figured he’d appoint me as his new left hand -- but he didn’t.  He was hungry for power -- he wanted more human followers.  Humans!”  Barachiel spit the word out like it was poison.  “Weak, defective copies of us!  We had to bow down and scrape and serve them so that they would honor Father more.  It turned my stomach.

“So when you put Michael into Hell, I approached Father for a new position -- that of both protector and punisher combined.  His clasped hands.  But no... he refused.  He was too busy with the rebellion that was brewing, even though I told him I would take care of it.  But would he listen?  Or even give me a chance?  No.”

Barachiel’s face grew red with rage as he started to pace in front of Lucifer, his movements sharp and jerky.  “How could he keep passing me up for promotion?   _ Me? _  The greatest archangel that ever existed?!  Couldn’t he see my worth?  My splendor?!

“So when you drove him insane, I decided it was time I took matters into my own hands.  I pulled the best of the best from the Warrior Elite and had them swear allegiance to me.  I kidnapped Father with the intention of framing you for it.  I would send you down to Hell, and would come out looking like a hero.  Everyone would turn to me for leadership.”

A cunning look came into the archangel’s face.  “But then I found out you had made a Nephilim with your Old God, which was perfect!  I planned to hide your Old God away until she was ready to give birth, have Raphael deliver the monster, then unleash the Nephilim upon the Earth!  All the humans would be destroyed, and the Earth would be clean and unsullied for all of us once again.  Then I would vanquish the Nephilim, since it would be under my control.  You would again be blamed for the destruction, since you made the Nephilim, and I would again come out looking like a hero.  My position as Leader of Heaven would be complete, and no one would suspect a thing.”

Lucifer stared at his brother, shocked at the admissions coming out of Barachiel’s mouth.  The archangel was truly mad!  Apparently his brother was cut from the same cloth as dear old Dad, before he went insane.  Manipulative bastard...!

“And what about Dad?  My wife?”

The archangel shrugged.  “Easy enough to kill after the Nephilim was loose.”

“And Rafe?  Did you have to butcher him?”

A sadistic grin split Barachiel’s face.  “Ahhh, that was the most enjoyable part of all of this.  A little payback.  I always hated that self-righteous prick.  Since I had to cut off his wings so that he wouldn’t try to escape or do anything stupid, I figured I’d have a little fun while I was at it.”  The angel took a deep breath as he closed his eyes and quivered from ecstasy.  “The blood, the screams....  Truly... delightful.”  When his eyes opened, there was a hunger in them that sent shivers down Lucifer’s spine.  “I look forward to doing the same to you.”

With a shock, the fallen angel realized that Barachiel wasn’t just bored or power hungry like his father.  He was absolutely, truly mad.

“Well, in that I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed,” Lucifer said with a grin as his eyes lit with red fire.  “I have no intention of becoming your... toy.  In fact,  _ you  _ should be afraid of _ me.” _

“Afraid?”  Barachiel spit out a contemptuous laugh.  “You must be insane.  Why should I be afraid of you?”

“Because I’m the Devil, and Dad’s left hand.  And I am going to punish you.”

“You?!”  The archangel laughed uproariously.  “Look around you!  You’re surrounded!  You have no weapon! How can you punish me?”

“Because it’s what I do best, Bar.  And if there’s anyone here who bloody well needs punishment, it’s  _ you.” _

With that, Lucifer spread his wings wide and shot up in the air like a bullet, speeding higher and higher upwards, before making a hard turn toward the trees where Amenadiel and Maze were hiding.  He didn’t even bother to look behind him; he knew that all the soldiers were hard on his tail, like a black mass of swarming wasps.  Barachiel’s laugh echoed through the still air.

“You can’t escape, Lucifer!” he yelled after him.  And then, to the soldiers:  “Take him alive!  I want to kill him myself!”

Lucifer could only imagine what death would be like at the hands of his butcher brother.  There was no way he was going to get caught alive -- he’d rather die fighting!

Like a peregrine falcon, the fallen angel zipped around the trees, flying at breakneck speed as he tried to lose some of his pursuers.  Up ahead -- there!  Amenadiel with War’s gift!  Coming in low, he snagged it from his brother’s hands without slowing down, then banked hard to lead the warriors away.  Some of the black-winged soldiers broke off from the main group, attacking Amenadiel and Maze, but Lucifer didn’t stop.  He had confidence in the skills of the angel and demon.

Pushing himself upward, he flew into a thick cloud that was forming at the base of the foothills.  Hiding there in the miasma for a split-second, he took the opportunity to draw his sword before darting back out into the sunlight.  The warriors were coming at him, their blades drawn.  They hadn’t expected him to charge them head on like a mad bull, so they scattered like an exploding dandelion puff.

A feral grin lit Lucifer’s face as he went after them before they could regroup, swinging his sword and bringing them down one at a time.  He moved like an aerial acrobat as he changed directions at the blink of an eye, darting and swooping at his attackers.  The blade sang as he swung it, cleaving everything in its path, cutting through the armor of the Enforcers like a knife through butter.

As black-winged angels started to fall from the sky, the soldiers changed tactics, ganging up on him when they could and throwing ropes at him.  As Lucifer struck down another opponent, a rope caught him around one of his wings, yanking him off-balance.  As he fell in the direction of the one holding the line, another angel came in fast with his sword raised.  Lucifer pushed his falling body in the direction of the angel binding him, loosening the tension on the rope and giving him a little more maneuverability.  Speeding toward that angel, he struck him down before turning to the other, raising his sword barely in time to keep from getting struck down.

Another lasso caught his other wing, and yanked him again, this time pulling him toward the ground.  Cursing, Lucifer swung at the line, severing it, but another Enforcer struck him down at the back, hitting his wing.  Crying out in pain, the Devil fell to the Earth in a tumble, rolling when he hit the dirt to land on his feet.  The warriors surrounded him in a circle, some with ropes, some with knives, and others with swords.

Bloody hell, how many of them were there?  Lucifer couldn’t keep count.  Too many.  Too damned many --

An angel threw a knife at him; as he deflected it, a noose fell around his neck and cinched tight, viciously yanking him off his feet.  Pain ripped through his throat, nearly paralyzing him, but he couldn’t afford to let it.  Swinging the sword madly, he severed the rope, but the other angels jumped on him, punching and beating him with whatever they could.  Lucifer tried to strike down his attackers, but there were just too many.

Two blurs fast approaching caught his eye as he struggled -- Maze and Amenadiel!  They struck out at the attackers, knocking them away, fighting to get to Lucifer.  After what seemed like an eternity, the three of them ended up back to back, facing a large circle of Enforcers.

Panting hard, Lucifer grinned as he tugged the severed noose from his neck and said brashly, “I could have taken them.”

“Yeah, sure,” Maze said sarcastically.  “Like the time you were faced with the Latin Kings gang?”

“Or when you were going to get shot by the police and I had to carry you in my arms like a baby?” Amenadiel added.

Shooting his brother a dark look, he bit out sarcastically, “Thank you for reminding me of that.”

Barachiel approached the threesome, a smile on his face.  “Amenadiel and the demon!  Not so far away, after all.  I should have guessed you wouldn’t abandon Luci.”

“You won’t get away with this, Barachiel,” snapped Amenadiel.

“I already have, dear brother.”  To the soldiers, he ordered:  “Bring Lucifer to me.  Do whatever you like with the others.”

As the Enforcers started to approach, the threesome tightened their defensive circle.  Their eyes darted left and right, preparing for the attack that was sure to come.  A few of the soldiers feinted at the demon, but Maze parried and slashed out with her knives.  Another charged Lucifer, who swung his sword and severed the attacker’s weapon in half.  The warriors surged forward en masse, trying to overwhelm them.

Suddenly, a crack of thunder surprised them all.  Glancing skyward, Lucifer saw that the cloud he had flown into before had transformed into an ugly, black thunderhead that was rolling their way.  A grin lit his face.  There was only one person who could do that!

The screeching of tires caught the fallen angel’s attention -- quickly glancing at the nearby road, he saw Hal’s SUV.  Getting out of it was the storm god himself, as well as Chloe, Sachiel and... Rafe?!

“Barachiel!” Raphael’s angry yell carried across the cold air as the thunderhead grew more threatening.  “I have a score to settle with you!”

Barachiel’s smile dropped almost comically from his face.  “You can’t stop me, Raphael!  None of you can!”  Turning quickly to his soldiers, he ordered, “Kill them all!”

 


	16. Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super-huge thank you!! to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme! You totally rock and make my work shine!

 

 

All hell broke loose.

Chloe, seeing the mass of angels surrounding Lucifer, whipped out her gun and started running toward Lucifer.  Hal, having persuaded Sachiel to protect Raphael, Trixie and Yahweh for him, followed with a Hell-forged knife in hand.  Both Old Gods skidded down the sandy slope toward the fight.

Raphael sent up prayers calling for the Council to show up, and hoped that he could be heard.  He wasn’t sure it would work, wingless as he was, but Sachiel worked as backup, also praying to the other Council members.  Hiding in the car, Trixie kept an eye open for any possible attackers, while Yahweh stared out of the window, his hands planted on the glass, and his mouth in a big “O”.

Half of the Enforcers broke away from Lucifer, Amenadiel and Maze, and headed for the newcomers.  Seeing that, Lucifer began chasing after them as panic started to flutter madly in his chest.  Bloody hell, his crazy wife was pregnant!  She shouldn’t be putting herself in danger!

Darkness covered the land as the thunderhead moved directly overhead.  The air crackled with electricity, and the smell of rain filled the air.  Lightning flashed down, striking a few of the angels closest to Chloe, and a crack of thunder boomed across the sky.  The blonde woman lifted her gun, taking careful aim, and took down as many of the black-winged warriors as she could.  Hal, meanwhile, struck down some of the angels with his blade, smiling viciously as he did so.  Warriors struck out at him, injuring him, but that didn’t stop the storm god.  Reveling in the violence, he laughed like a madman and kept on attacking.

Lucifer caught up with some of the angels heading toward Chloe, and madly hacked away with his sword.  A hard impact from the side knocked him down and took his breath away -- another warrior had barreled into him.  Sand and rock sprayed everywhere as he tumbled to a stop.  Pulling himself up quickly, Lucifer tried to launch himself at his attacker, but his injured wing refused to cooperate.  Cursing loudly, he ran and threw himself into the fray.

Amenadiel and Maze worked back to back, slicing and chopping warriors with their hell-forged blades.  Like two synchronized ice skaters, they moved almost like a single unit, slashing and kicking with such fury that they were a wonder to behold.  Bodies and blood littered the ground around them.  Blazing with passion, the demon grabbed her boyfriend and gave him a devouring kiss before they started pursuing their fleeing enemies.

Barachiel, meanwhile, moved away from the fighting, staying clear and watching with cold, dispassionate eyes.  He spotted Raphael and Sachiel praying, which caused a frisson of fear to well up inside him.  There had been no chance for failure before, but with his siblings no doubt calling for backup, he worried.  Picking up a knife off of a dead Enforcer, he spread his wings and took off for his siblings.

The archangel’s movement caught Chloe’s attention, and her guard dropped for just a second.  That’s all it took for an Enforcer to take a swipe at her, catching her in the arm with his sword.  The cut wasn’t deep, but blood flew.  Lucifer saw red.  With a savage yell, he jumped on the angel attacking Chloe and plunged his sword into him, killing him instantly.  Eyes burning with fire, he flew into a rage, killing angels left and right until his wife was able to get his attention.

“Lucifer!” she yelled.  “I’m okay!  Help Rafe and Sachiel!”

The fallen angel blinked, then saw what his wife had seen -- Barachiel speeding toward his siblings.  Pumping his wings despite the pain, Lucifer launched himself into the air.  For a second he thought his injured wing would fail him, but he forced it to keep working.  He wobbled unstably but kept pushing himself as he struggled to reach the archangel.

Barachiel beat him to the car, slashing out at Sachiel and Raphael.  He caught his brother in the gut, slashing him open, then turned to attack his sister before Lucifer waylaid him from the side.  Angel and Devil tumbled furiously in the sand as each one vied for the upper hand.  Barachiel tried to stab Lucifer in the face, but his fallen brother held him off, struggling to keep the blade from plunging until he was finally able to kick his attacker away.  As they found their feet and circled each other like wild animals, Lucifer heard Sachiel screaming for Chloe.

“How could you kill Rafe?!” he yelled at the archangel.  “He’s your brother -- not only that, he’s an archangel like you!  Bloody hell, what is wrong with you?!”

Barachiel laughed.  “Come now, Lucifer.  What’s one less archangel?  Afraid no one will help deliver the abomination in your wife’s stomach?”

“Shut up, you sodding bastard!”

Lucifer rushed his brother, swinging his sword madly.  The archangel dodged the blows, laughing the entire time, which only enraged the Devil even more.  Bloody hell, why wouldn’t the sod stand still?!

Meanwhile, Chloe hurried to Raphael’s side and cursed when she saw the horrible damage done to him.  Hoping for the best, she placed her hands on his stomach and closed her eyes.  White power flowed out of her fingers as she struggled to keep him from dying.  Even a temporary fix would work, until she had the time to do the job properly.  She was completely unaware of Yahweh stepping out of the car, his mad eyes taking in the scenes of carnage around him.

Nearby, one of the last Enforcers remaining came to help Barachiel, barreling into Lucifer from the side.  The two tumbled madly in the dirt before finally coming to a halt.  Fighting desperately, Lucifer kicked the black-winged warrior away before scrambling to his feet and striking him down.  At that moment, Barachiel rushed up behind him and swung his sword down hard.

Lucifer turned, but he was too slow -- in an instant he saw his death.  Time seemed to slow as the blade rushed toward him, ready to cleave him in two.  In that split-second he saw his life -- lighting the stars, Falling, coming to Earth, meeting Chloe....

_Ah, Chloe...._

But the blade never hit him.  Suddenly his father was there, shoving himself between him and Barachiel.  Blood flew as Yahweh took the blow meant for the fallen angel, his body arching back like a strung bow.  With eyes wide with shock and disbelief, Lucifer caught the god as he crumpled.  Clutching his father to his chest, the fallen angel fell to his knees and stared up at Barachiel.

“Shite!” he yelled.  “You -- you killed Dad!”

The archangel stared at the bloody god in his brother’s arms, then at the sword in his hand.  Confusion flowed over his face.  “No... no I didn’t kill Father.  You did -- it’s your fault!”

Amenadiel flew up then like a cannonball, hitting Barachiel from the side and pinning the stunned angel down.  He glanced at Lucifer and Yahweh, his face gray from shock.

Lucifer shook his father.  “Dad!  Dad!”

Yahweh slowly opened his eyes.  “Samael....”

“Why, Dad?  Why?!” he cried.

Yahweh said nothing, only looked at him, his eyes crinkling in the corners like they used to when he had once looked at his son with approval.

“Chloe!” Lucifer yelled.  “Chloe!”  She came running up then, cursing under her breath as she stared at the wounded god in her husband’s arms.

“He saved my life....  I don’t understand....  He hates me.  Why would he do that?” he asked as his wife placed her hands on Yahweh’s back.  A white glow erupted from her touch as she tried to save him.  She said nothing as she closed her eyes and concentrated.

As she worked on him, a number of white-winged archangels descended from the sky, landing in a circle around Lucifer, Yahweh and Chloe.  Too little, too late, the Devil reflected bitterly.  Several of the Warrior Elite landed around Amenadiel and Barachiel, who had finally recovered and was struggling to free himself from the angel’s grasp.

Pointing madly at the Devil, the archangel yelled, “Look what he’s done -- he’s struck down Father!”

The archangels glanced at each other, then at the scene in front of them, and frowned.

“You bloody sods, does it look like I struck Dad down?!” Lucifer snapped.  “My wife is trying to save him!”

“He’s lying.  He’s the Devil, he always lies!”

The sound of a car door shutting had everyone turning toward the SUV.  Trixie had left the car and was running toward them.

“Grandpa!  Grandpa!” she cried as tears streamed out of her eyes.

As he turned to look at her, Yahweh’s eyes were clear.  “My... granddaughter.”

“Mommy, is he going to be okay?” she asked her mother, then stared at the white glow surrounding Chloe’s hands.

“I hope so, monkey,” she said quietly.

“Are... are you fixing him?” the little girl asked with awe.

“I’m trying.”

Meanwhile, Barachiel kept on raving.  “Lucifer tried to kill Yahweh -- he kidnapped him, tried to destroy us all --”

“Shut up!” Amenadiel yelled and punched the archangel in the face.  Sauntering up to her boyfriend, Maze grinned in approval.

“That sodding bastard kidnapped Father,” Lucifer told the other archangels.  “He is mad.  He wanted to take over Heaven.”

“I can vouch for that,” Raphael said in a weak voice as he staggered over to the Council members.  “He... cut my wings off.  Beat me while he held Chloe hostage.  He wanted to cleanse the Earth of humans.”

“He needs punishment,” Lucifer said, his voice dropping to a guttural growl as he lowered his father to the ground and snatched up his sword.  With deadly intent he started walking up to Barachiel.  Fury such that he had never known burned within him, threatening to set the world on fire.

“Wait --” Amenadiel tried to stop him, but he pushed his brother aside easily.  His demon grinned and fell into step behind him, holding her knifes out with glee.  Barachiel, seeing him coming, scrambled backwards in the sand and held out a hand for mercy.

“No wait, Luci -- you can’t...  You’re the one who hurt Father, you drove him insane!  You destroyed the northern edge of Heaven!  I’m not the one who should be punished -- it’s you!  You!”

“He is ours to decide what to do with,” Orphiel said in a loud voice from behind.

Lucifer didn’t even turn.  “Punishment is my job, Orph, not yours.  And I plan to punish this manipulative bastard to the fullest extent --”

“He is _ours,_ Lucifer.”  Another archangel, Jegudiel, piped up.

“He is an archangel, and therefore ours to contend with,” Selaphiel added.

Members of the Warrior Elite surrounded Lucifer, trying to keep him back from Barachiel, but they were no match for the Devil in a fury.  Even injured, he easily knocked the soldiers aside.  In such a berserker rage was he that he could no longer feel the pain from his injuries.

In the end, it was Chloe who brought him to his senses.

Dashing up to her husband, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, preventing him from moving forward.  With a gentle hand, Lucifer tried to unwrap her arms from around him, but she held on tightly with desperation.

“Let me go, wife,” he snarled.  “I need to punish the bastard.”

“No, Lucifer.”  Looking up at him with fierce eyes, she said, “No.”

Fire raged within him, his eyes glowing bright red with flame.  “Don’t stop me, Chloe.”

“You can’t do this.  You have to listen to the Council --”

“You’re taking their side?” he cried disbelievingly.

“I’m on _your_ side!  Please, Lucifer, listen to me!  You can’t do this!”

For a moment it looked like he was going to just shove her aside.  She could see that he was considering it... but then sanity won out over berserker fury, and the fire slowly left his eyes.

“Bloody hell, Detective,” he snapped angrily.  “Why won’t you let me do my job?”

Wrenching out of her arms, he turned on his heel, spread his wings, and launched himself into the sky.  Bobbing and swaying from his injuries, it looked like he would crash back into the Earth -- but he didn’t.  In seconds, he was out of sight.

 


	17. Making Things Right

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super-huge thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme! You make my work shine!

  


When Chloe returned to the flat, she found Lucifer in the corner on the balcony, staring up at the blue sky streaked with clouds.

He didn’t know she was back; or, if he did, he wasn’t letting on that he knew.  From behind, his broad shoulders looked a little slumped, and his usually beautiful posture seemed to convey sadness.  He had showered and changed -- his hair was still a little damp, and he now wore a vested suit and a snowy white shirt, but no tie.

Walking quietly behind him, she said softly, “Hey.”

He jumped at the sound of her voice.  Turning slightly toward her, he said, “Detective,” but did not look at her.  Instead, his gaze returned to the sky.

Chloe didn’t know what to say.  She knew she had hurt his feelings... her sensitive Devil, who laughed everything away with sarcasm while hiding the hurt he felt deep inside.  Taking a place beside him, she followed his gaze up to the clouds, then glanced at his bruised and cut face.  He looked closed off, remote.  Almost of its own accord, her hand lifted to touch him, but then she let it fall to her side.

“Lucifer....” she started to say, but then he suddenly laughed harshly, almost like a madman, before he shook his head.

“Don’t,” he said with a glare, then turned on his heel and walked inside.

She followed Lucifer to the bar, where he picked up a bottle of Scotch and filled up an old-fashioned glass to the rim with alcohol.  While he poured, the mouth of the bottle rattled repeatedly against the glass.  An angry expression crossed his face as he studied his trembling hand.  With a scowl he slammed the bottle onto the counter, as if it was a poisonous snake.  In one long pull, he drank the entire glass before turning to her.  His eyes were cold.

“Right.  So, what happened after I left?” he asked caustically.  “Is the angry angel mob on a witch -- no, a Devil hunt now?”  Chloe winced at his tone.

“No.  Rafe told them what happened.  You have nothing to worry about there... and your father will live.  The angels took him back to Heaven.  Sachiel went up with them to make sure everything was going to be all right.  Hal brought us all home.  Rafe is downstairs with Maze and Amenadiel, waiting for me to take him to my brother.  Trixie’s down there, as well.  I wanted to talk to you privately, first.”

He ignored her last sentence.  “And Barachiel?”

“I don’t know.  They took him to Heaven.”

“It figures, the bloody pricks.”  Lucifer turned and poured himself another drink.

“Lucifer --”

“Why did you marry me?” he suddenly snarled as he whirled around, his eyes alight with fire.  “Why?  You know what I am -- why did you marry me?!”

His anger wasn’t unexpected -- he tended to hide a lot of pain in anger.  Taking a deep breath, she said, “Because you’re a good man.”

“No, Detective -- I’m not.  I’m the Devil!  Punishing guilty people is what I do!  It’s my job!   _Why did you stop me?!”_

“I had to, that’s why!” she yelled back at him.  “You’re my husband!  I need you!  Trixie needs you!  Our baby needs you!”

For a long moment he stared at Chloe, before downing his drink and walking back toward the balcony.  Was he going to leave again?  She couldn’t have that.  Reaching out, she grabbed his arm and stopped him.  He could have easily pulled out of her grasp with his angelic strength, but he didn’t.  Instead he froze and looked at her.  Although his face was cold and distant, his eyes were filled with hurt.

“Lucifer, please listen to me.  I couldn’t have you punish Barachiel.”

“You’re rejecting who I am,” he whispered harshly.  “I’m the bloody Devil.  Punishment is what I do.”

“Yes, I know.  But you’re also the angel who lit the stars, remember?  The favorite son who tried so hard to do what his father wanted. The smart one who wanted free will.  Don’t you remember?”

“I... I....”  He squeezed his eyes shut.  Then, angrily: “Stop trying to confuse me!”

“I’m not trying to confusing you!”  Grabbing his arms, she gave him a little shake.  “I know that you’re the Devil, and punishment is what you do.  And you’re good at it -- I know that!  But I also know that there’s so much more to you than just that --”

“No, there isn’t!”

“Yes, there is!”

They stared at each other for what seemed to be an eternity -- him full of hurt and anger, her with love and a little desperation.  Realizing that they were beginning to sound like children arguing, she took a deep breath.

“Look, I know you wanted to be the one to punish him, but the Council would have thrown you in Hell for exacting revenge when they felt it was their right --”

“It wasn’t their right!” he blazed.

“I know,” she soothed.  “But they felt it was.  They would have punished _you_ for punishing Barachiel.  I couldn’t have that.  Don’t you understand?  It would have given them the excuse they were looking for to put you back in Hell... and I need you here!   _We_ need you here!  We are a family -- we have to stay together!”

He stared at her silently, his jaw clenched tight.  After what seemed to be an eternity, the fire finally left his eyes, and he seemed to wilt.  Wrapping her arms around him, she pressed her cheek to his chest.  For a long moment he just stood limply in her embrace, before finally hugging her to him so fiercely that she thought she would faint.

The feel of his embrace gave Chloe hope.  His abrupt departure in the forest had worried her.  Had she inadvertently pushed him away?  His coldness at home seemed to indicate that she had, and she couldn’t have that.  He was her life, and they going to have a baby together.  She refused to lose him.

“I... I’m sorry,” she heard him whisper as he laid his cheek against her hair.

“No, I am,” she whispered back as she reached up and kissed his cheek.

“Do you... hate me?” he asked so softly that she almost didn’t hear him.  Pulling back with surprise, she stared hard into his eyes.  They were full of... fear.

“What?” she asked, not sure if she had heard right.

“Do you hate me?” he repeated.  “Hate... what I am?  Did you stop me because you reject what I am?”

She couldn’t help but gape at him.  “What the hell brought this on?”

For a long moment he didn’t answer, only stared deep in her eyes, as if looking for... something.  Then he laughed -- a harsh, self-mocking laugh -- as he pulled out of her arms and took a step back.

“Nothing, my dear.  It’s nothing.”

Reaching out, she grabbed his arm to stop his retreat.  “No, it’s not nothing.  If it was nothing, you wouldn’t have brought it up.”  When he refused to speak, she gave him a little shake.  “Talk to me.”

“I... I don’t want to.”  He pulled out of her grasp and strode to the bar to pour himself another drink.  Chloe followed quickly, stopping him when he would have picked up the glass full of Scotch.  Taking his hand, she led him to the couch where she sat both of them down.

“Now,” she said in a gentle voice as she laced her fingers with his, “what is this about?”

He couldn’t look at her.  “I’m the angel of punishment, love.  Punishment.  You’re the goddess of compassion.  It wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if you didn’t accept what I did.”

Chloe gaped at him for a long moment.  “Well... yes, but....”

He stared down at their interlocked hands before looking away.  “Right.  When you’re in Hell....  No -- when you’re imprisoned in one of the cells there, time... flows differently.”  His hand squeezed hers.  “A minute feels like years.  Bloody _years._ ”  he looked at her.  “I had a lot of time to think.”

“I don’t understand....”

“You’re kind... gentle.  Bloody hell, you looked at me -- me! -- and thought that I was a good man, when my whole bloody family hated me.  I’m sure you could see the good in anyone.  But punishment -- it’s what I’m best at.  It’s what Dad made me into.  I’m a monster.  How can you love someone like me?”

Chloe sighed, then pulled him into her arms.  Ignoring his protests, she hugged him tightly.  After a minute, she felt him bury his face in her neck.

“I love you, Lucifer Morningstar -- all of you.  I don’t think you’re a monster -- far from it!”  Pulling back, she placed her hands on his cheeks and gently tilted his head up to hers, so that she could look deep into his eyes.  “Don’t forget, husband, that I am also a cop.  A _cop._  I believe in justice being served, and of punishment justly doled out.  I have no problem with what you do.”

“But --”

“No buts.  You are a good man, Lucifer.   _A good man._  You have to believe that.”  Leaning forward, she kissed him with all the love she had inside him.  For a moment he hesitated, as if he couldn’t believe it, before responding.  Deepening the kiss, he began to caress her body through her clothes.  Passion, bright and hot, flared between them.

“Chloe,” he breathed after he finally ended the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers.  “Chloe....”

“I love you,” she whispered against his lips before caressing his cheek with her hand.  She felt him smile.

“Show me,” he whispered back.  “Show me, love....”  Without warning, he stood up and picked her up off the couch.  Cradling her in his arms lovingly, he kissed her again and carried her to bed.

  


________________________________________

  


Lucifer stared down at his beautiful, sleeping wife sprawled on his chest as he played with her hair.  How he loved her!  He still couldn’t believe how incredibly lucky he was to her in his life.  And she loved him!  For how could she not, after such passionate lovemaking?  It had been fierce, intense... unforgettable.

And it had felt so right.  After all those centuries being tortured by the demon in the cell, he finally felt whole again.  As he joyously made love to her, memories had washed over him.  Warm, loving memories of Chloe scolding him, laughing with him, kissing him... loving him.

He remembered the moment when she pulled him out of Hell, after Michael had broken his glamour.  She hadn’t called him a monster, then.  No, she had called him a good man, and told him that she had fallen in love with him.  And then the brush of her lips against his, and that kiss on the forehead....

Then the first time they had made love came to mind, when she had said he was one of the most romantic men she had ever met, and that he was the only thing she needed.  And the profound sex they had shared after....

And she had traded hearts with him, when his had been so badly damaged by Sachiel....

Warmth had flooded his chest.  Warmth, and feelings of such love that he couldn’t hold it all in.  He let all of those emotions pour out of him as he had made love to her, hoping deep in his heart that she could feel how much he loved her.

“I love you so much,” he whispered to his sleeping wife.  “Don’t ever leave me.”  He let his hands do the talking after that, waking her gently before making love to her again.

  


________________________________________

  


“Hey,” Lucifer heard Chloe say beside him.  Smiling in his sleep, he reached for her, reveling in her warm body next to his.  He snuggled against her, making himself more comfortable in bed.

“Hello, love,” he said softly as he opened his eyes and admired the view of his beautiful wife looking at him.

“Everybody’s waiting for us downstairs.  We have to get up.”

He groaned.  “Must we?  Can’t we stay and continue having sex?”

Her low chuckle aroused him to no end.  “No.  We have to get up.”

“Bloody hell.”  He threw an arm over his eyes as he felt her sit up in bed, but her gasp had him propping himself up on his elbows and looking at her with concern.

“What is it?”

“There’s blood on the sheets!” Chloe exclaimed, aghast.

Uninterested, Lucifer lowered himself back onto the bed.  “Oh, is that all?”

 _“Is that all?!_  Lucifer --”

“It’s not virginal blood, I can assure you,” he said with a wicked grin.  She just glared at him.

“Lucifer!” she scolded.

“Oh, very well.  It’s my back -- well, actually my wing.  It got sliced in the fight --”

“And you didn’t tell me?!  You made love to me while injured?!” she screeched.

“It had stopped bleeding by then.  It doesn’t hurt -- well, not much....”

“But it’s bleeding now!  Goddamn it, Lucifer!”  Bolting out of bed and pulling on his robe, she ran to his side and yanked him upright.  “Show me!”

With a roll of his eyes, he unfurled his wings.  Blood flew everywhere as he shook them out and extended them.  His wife’s eyes grew big, then narrowed angrily.

“Oh, for the love of...  Stand still.”  Closing her eyes, Chloe placed her hands on his chest.  Her touch filled Lucifer with warmth as she went through and systematically healed all of his injuries.

“Damn idiot,” she spat at him.

Her anger aroused him to no end.  Reaching for her, he pulled her close and kissed her until her legs went out from under her.  “Thank you,” he said with a grin.

“Idiot,” she repeated as she pushed him away.  “And let me tell you -- if you ever go off to fight on your own again--”

“But I wasn’t alone, love --”

 _“Whatever._  If you ever do that again without me, I’ll... I’ll... I’ll chain you to the bed and beat you!”

Lucifer brightened, his eyes hot and burning with desire.  “Oooh, is that a promise?”

Chloe rolled her eyes.  “No!  I was just saying -- what I meant was -- dammit, you know what I meant!”

But the fallen angel was just getting warmed up.  Rubbing his hands together with glee, he cried, “Oh, I can’t wait!  I know where we can get the whip and chains from -- Maze!  She has all sorts of wonderful equipment --”

“We are _not_ getting equipment from your demon!”

If anything, his face lit up even more, and he leered at her.  His excitement had become so strong it was palpable.  “Oh, you’d rather go bondage shopping together!  Very well, my dear!  I must say, it’s one of the more satisfying shopping experiences a couple can engage in together.  I certainly can accommodate you, in more ways than one --”

With an exasperated sigh, she cried, “Oh, just shut up and kiss me!”

A chuckle escaped Lucifer as he grinned and wrapped his arms around her.  “With pleasure, Mrs. Morningstar, with pleasure!”

 


	18. Two Healers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super-huge thank you to my wonderful beta, ScooterThyme! You are awesome!!

 

 

Once she and Lucifer had both dressed and were presentable, Chloe phoned Amenadiel and asked them to send up Raphael and Trixie.  In less than a minute, the pair was walking out of the elevator, albeit the angel more slowly than the little girl.

Chloe’s heart gave a painful squeeze as she looked at Raphael.  He looked so... broken.  With his face terribly bruised and bloodied, his wings gone, and the wound in his stomach that must have still hurt with the temporary patch she had put on it, he hardly looked like the healer she knew.  Most telling of all, though, was the bitterness in his face.  That was new... and heartbreaking to see.

“Your talk with Lucifer sure took a long time,” Trixie said with a grin as she looked from Chloe to Lucifer.  “What were you talking about?”

“Oh, this and that, monkey,” her mother replied.

“Were you playing a game on the floor again?”

Lucifer let out a shout of laughter as Chloe’s face turned three shades of red.  “Uh, not on the floor, no,” she managed to say.

“More like the bed,” her husband added sotto voce.  She elbowed him in the ribs -- hard.

“Why don’t we have some lunch before I take Rafe to see....” she petered off and glanced down at her daughter, who stared at her curiously.

“Who are you going to go see, Mommy?” Trixie asked.

“Uh....”  Chloe really didn’t know what to say.  If she said “Your uncle,” Trixie was sure to bring it up with Penelope, and that wouldn’t go over well with her mother.  She could just hear her mother screeching now: “You have a _brother?_  You mean your father cheated on me?!”  No.  That would be a disaster.  She finally opted for, “A friend.”

“Can I come?” the little girl asked.

“I thought you could stay with Lucifer while I went.  I won’t be too long.”

“But --”  The fallen angel got a sulky look on his face.  “I... I wanted to go, too.”

Chloe blinked at him in surprise.  “But you never want to go -- you always drag your feet!”

“Well, this time I want to go,” he said, like a stubborn little boy.

A suspicious look crossed his wife’s face.  “Oh my god, Lucifer!  You can’t still be jeal--”

“No!” the fallen angel interrupted quickly.  “No, I’m not.  I just want to go....  Bloody hell, Detective, must I have a reason?”

“No, you don’t have to have a reason.”  Sighing, she said, “But just this once, can you please stay and watch Trixie for me?”  She leaned forward and kissed his cheek for good measure.

With his face full of rebellion, he opened his mouth to argue, but couldn’t think of anything to say.  Bloody hell.  Heaving a big sigh, he gave his wife a hard look.  “Right.  Then you had better bring me back a bloody large box of food, understood?”  Holding out his hand to Trixie, he said, “I’ll take the little one out for In-N-Out burgers while you go get your... business done.”

“In-N-Out, yay!” the little girl squealed as she took Lucifer’s hand.

Chloe watched the elevator doors close behind them before turning to Raphael.  “Maybe we could eat with my brother.  The food is amazing there!”

Raphael gave her a wry smile.  “Whatever you think is best.”

“Then let’s go.”

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

“Will you and Mommy still love me after the baby is born?”

The question caught Lucifer completely by surprise.  He glanced down at the little girl sitting across from him in the plastic booth of the burger joint.  Her eyes were big and solemn as she stared up at him while toying with her fries.

“Why do you ask that, child?” he asked, unable to disguise the puzzled tone in his voice.

“Because... the baby’s yours and Mommy’s,” she said.  “It will probably have powers because you’re an angel and you have powers.  And now, Mommy has powers.  My daddy is... Daddy.  I’m... nothing.”  She looked so forlorn that Lucifer reached across the table and gave her hand a squeeze, much to his own surprise.

“You are not nothing,” he said firmly.  “You’re an important part of this family!  Bloody hell, child, I would have been completely at sea with the wedding, had it not been for your wise advice!”

“But... I don’t have any powers!” she cried.

“Listen, child, powers don’t matter one whit.  Why, you can have all the powers in the world, and not have any love.”

Trixie looked up at him with surprise.  “You can?”

“Absolutely.”  Lucifer shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  He didn’t like opening himself up emotionally, but he didn’t want the little one feeling less than she really was, either.  “Bloody hell, child, take me, for example.”

The little girl squinted up at him.  “What about you?”

He blinked.  She didn’t know...?  Well, surely she knew...?  “Look at all the powers I have, child.  I used to light the stars.  I was a bloody angel.  The best -- the brightest.  And did that make Dad love me?  No.”  Bitterness laced his words.  Bloody hell, this emotional filleting of his insides hurt.  For a moment he considered changing the subject, but a glance at Trixie’s face had him staying the course.  “He used me for his own purposes and sent me to Hell.  He never... loved me, even though I...”

“You loved him,” she finished for him after he broke off.

After a long pause, Lucifer nodded.  “I... did.  Once.”

“You don’t anymore?”  Trixie’s eyes reflected her sadness.

“I... I don’t know,” he confessed.

“But Grandpa loves you now, doesn’t he?  He got hurt to save you....”

“That’s true....”  Lucifer’s brow furrowed.  “I still don’t know why he did that.”

“Because he loves you,” Trixie said simply.

Silence fell over the table as Lucifer pondered the little girl’s words.  Did Dad jump in front of the sword because he loved him now?  When Chloe had given him compassion, had she also given him the ability to love?  He didn’t know.

Watching the little girl eat her hamburger and fries, he wondered if his father had ever felt pride in his children.  And what did he, Lucifer, now feel for dear old Dad?  He didn’t know.  In order to escape his mad thoughts, the fallen angel said, “Right.  We were talking about powers.  So you see, having powers doesn’t mean you’ll have love.”

“Oh.”  Trixie pondered that for a moment.  “So you and Mommy won’t care if I’m just... me?”

“Being yourself is the very best thing to be, child.  Having free will... and being your own man.  Well, girl, in your case,” he corrected.  “Rest assured, child, nothing will change in how your mother and I feel about you.”

“You’ll still love me?”

Her simple question tore a hole in Lucifer’s heart.  He didn’t know how to make her feel more secure, but he wished he did.   “Yes, child.”  He gave her greasy hand a pat.  Surprisingly, she suddenly stood up, came around the table and hugged him hard, burying herself in his side.

“I love you, Lucifer.”  Her muffled words were almost unintelligible, but Lucifer understood.  Her words warmed him so much that he didn’t even mind that she was getting grease stains all over his suit.

“And I, you, child,” he said softly as he caressed her hair.  They stayed like that for a long while.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

“So this is the Old God plane,” Raphael said, looking around with interest as they walked down the main path toward Healing’s house.  A few of the gods eyed him warily, but when Chloe waved hello, they relaxed.  They seemed to recognize the healer as an angel, even without his wings.  The only one who actually approached the pair was War.

“Compassion!” the giant boomed in a cheery voice as he came sauntering up.  “Fancy seeing you!  You’re looking well, I see!”  His eyes went from her to her companion, and he cocked his head suspiciously with narrowed eyes.  “A new little winged man, huh?  Only this one isn’t winged.”

Raphael stared bitterly at the big giant, his hackles rising.  “No.”

Sensing a coming fight, Chloe said soothingly, “We’re just here to see Healing.  Rafe will be gone once he’s better.”

War nodded, considering her words, before easing his guard marginally.  “Very well.  Tell Angel that I’m waiting for him to come back for another practice session!”

“Another what?” Chloe asked, but the giant was already walking away.  She gave a shrug as she hurried Raphael toward Healing’s little wooden house.  Upon arriving, she knocked loudly, hoping her brother was home.  Sure enough, after a minute or two, the wooden sliding door opened, and her brother popped his head out.

“Compassion!” he cried with a big grin.  “Come in, come in!  And... someone new?”  The healer looked Raphael over with assessing eyes.  “You need to come with me,” he said.  With a quick, nervous glance at Chloe, Raphael followed the god inside.

As they walked toward the living room, Healing called over his shoulder, “How is Sachiel, is she okay?”  His voice sounded casually friendly, but Chloe could hear the underlying worry.

“She’s alive, thanks to you.  She’s... okay.”  She wished she could have said more, but... what did one say to someone who was suffering from unrequited love?

“Good.”  Her brother cleared his throat and repeated in a more upbeat tone, “Good!  Here, why don’t you both sit here?”

He ushered them to the living room and invited them to sit on some pillows on the floor.  Once they were comfortable, Healing touched the bandages on the angel’s back.  Raphael instinctively pulled away from his touch, but the god persisted, unwrapping the cloth to reveal the bleeding, butchered stumps of wings.

Hissing through his teeth, he asked, “How did this happen?”

“He was... attacked,” Chloe answered when Raphael remained silent.

“Okay.  First off, let’s heal those other wounds.”

“He also has a knife wound --”

“I’ll take care of it.”

Pulling out his medicine box, Healing started to mix a number of tonics, passing each one to the angel and telling him to drink.  Raphael watched the whole process with fascination, asking about the ingredients of what he was ingesting.  The angel was surprised at the feelings of wellness and energy he received as he drank, as well as the pain in his body fading away.  The tonics also worked far faster than his own healing powers.  Pressing his stomach, he was surprised to discover that that injury had already healed.

“I don’t understand.  How is it possible these simple herbs can do so much?” Raphael asked.

“Rafe’s a healer,” Chloe added helpfully to her brother, who looked surprised at the question.

“Ah,” Healing said with a grin.  “Well, I’m a little different from my sister.  She has a lot of raw power.  I don’t, but I can steep herbs with the power I do have, which stays in them forever.  As long as I have my medicine box, I’m much stronger than I normally am -- it makes me as good a healer as my sister, if not more so.”  He winked teasingly at Chloe.  “I steep each herb in a different facet of power, and then grind and mix as required, so that I can tailor-make medicines for my patients.”

“And what are you doing now?” Raphael asked as he watched the god start grinding more herbs with a mortar and pestle.

“This? It will be a poultice for your wings.  They should be fully grown back by the end of the day.”

Raphael’s eyebrows shot to the top of his forehead.  “Really?  That’s amazing!  It would take several sessions over a course of weeks for me to regenerate a pair of wings so badly... damaged.”

“While I’m doing this, do you mind telling me about how you lost the wings?”

Suspicion crossed the angel’s face.  “Why?”

“Because your suffering is fair making me deaf, it’s screaming so loud.”

Rafe looked positively uncomfortable.  Healing turned and looked at Chloe, who got the hint.  “I’m going to go out in the garden,” she said and left them.  She puttered about outside, picking vegetables that looked ripe, and sat for a spell out in the sun in order to give them privacy.  After what felt like a long time, she returned to the house and poked her head inside.  “Are you done?” she asked.

“Come on in, I’ve made lunch,” Healing said and waved her in.

Chloe studied Raphael.  He looked much better, his face relaxed and less... bitter.  In fact, there was a trace of a smile on his face as he discussed medicine with her brother.  The hard knot in her chest relaxed at the sight.  It seemed that Rafe was going to be okay.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Chloe and Raphael returned to the flat with gifts from Healing -- more pregnancy powders for her, medicinal powders in a box for him, and a box lunch for Lucifer.  The god had been more than generous to them all, and had even checked on the baby’s progress, assuring her that so far the baby was healthy.

“How did it go?” Lucifer asked the pair as he walked up.  His eyes spotted the boxes on the bar counter.  “For me?”  He brightened instantly like a little kid getting a present as he stared at them with hunger.  “Which one?”

“The middle one.”  Chloe chuckled as her husband snatched it off the counter, pried it open, and began gobbling everything down with his hands.  Appalled, she cried, “Oh for the love of -- at least use a fork, Lucifer!”  Her Devil ignored her.

“Aren’t you going to share?” Raphael asked, eyeing the delicious, power-drenched food in the box.

“Bloody hell -- didn’t you eat there?” Lucifer asked with his mouth full.

“Well, yeah, but I’m still hungry --”

“There’s food in the refrigerator.  Help yourself,” the Devil said as he snagged a napkin, then scurried away to the couch with his prize.  Both Chloe and Raphael broke out in laughter.

“Greedy ass,” Rafe said, sounding like his old self.

“Rafe!” Trixie cried, coming into room and spotting the angel.  She gave him a big hug before grabbing his hand.  “I’ve been waiting for you!  Are you all better now?”

“Not yet, but I will be by the end of the day.”  Indeed, the stubs on his back had lengthened by a foot.  They were quite ugly, but they were growing.

The little girl gave him a big grin.  “Great!  Then let’s play!”

The healer chuckled quietly.  “Sure, Trixie,” he said, and let himself get led off to her bedroom.

Chloe sauntered up to her husband just as he finished the last of his lunch.  “So how was your lunch with Trixie?”

“The spawn and I had a little talk,” he said as he shut the lid on the box, wiped his hands on the napkin, and stood to meet her. Taking her into his arms, he kissed her passionately before pulling back slightly and saying, “Welcome home, Mrs. Morningstar.”

“Nice to be home, Mister Morningstar,” she replied with a grin.  “What were you and Trixie talking about?”

The thought of avoiding the subject suddenly appealed to Lucifer because he hated talking about feelings, but the child’s needs came first.  His family always came first.  “She’s feeling... uneasy -- worried about how we’ll feel about her after the baby comes.”

The smile fell from Chloe’s face as she started to pull out of his embrace.  “Oh no, I better go talk to her --”

“No no no, my dear.  I had a little chat with her.”

If anything, his wife looked even more horrified.  “Oh no.  _Trixie!”_

“It’s fine, love, it’s fine!  Trust me!” he soothed.  As she turned back to look at him, he rubbed her upper arms reassuringly.  “I made sure the little one knew our feelings wouldn’t change after the baby came.”

A minute passed as Chloe stared at him, before she finally relaxed and hugged him.  “I’m sorry, Lucifer.  I didn’t know she was feeling insecure.  I know you did a good job talking to her.”

“Of course I did, my dear.  The Devil talks a good game.”  Lucifer thrust his chest out with pride, which made his wife chuckle.

“That’s my Devil,” Chloe breathed right before she pulled his head down for a searing, hungry kiss.

“Ooh, I like this,” he whispered with a smile.

“And are _you_ okay?”  She looked deep into his eyes, searching for hurt, anger or pain.  Thankfully, she didn’t see any.

“I am, now that you are home,” he said with a smile.  Pulling her close, he kissed her deeply before nuzzling her neck.  “I am always all right, whenever I am with you....”

 


	19. The New Council Head

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super-huge thank you to my excellent beta, ScooterThyme, whose fantastic editing skills make my work shine!

 

 

The days went by quickly for Lucifer.

There was something very satisfying about the relative calmness of living the life of a human.  No crazy siblings plotting to destroy him, no mad gods hiding behind furniture, no pricks telling him what to do.  Instead he had the joy of just being with family.

Well, perhaps joy wasn’t the correct word to use.  There was the impending little one to contend with, which scared him to death.  After the incident with Barachiel, he feared more than ever that he’d end up being as cruel as his father.  And just seeing Chloe’s belly get larger sent frissons of anxiety in him.  A part of him was still convinced that the spawn was going to tear its way out of her stomach like an Alien baby, but he tried his best to hide his fears from his wife.

His difficulty in wrapping his head around the idea that he and Chloe had made a life between them persisted.  She helped with that, though, encouraging him to place his hand on her stomach and feel the little flutters inside when the baby kicked.  He didn’t tell her that it unhinged him in a big way.

But, for the most part, life was serene.  He spent time with his family, went to therapy fairly regularly with Trixie, and was even able to sneak away for an afternoon workout with War, which had been mighty enjoyable.  There was something quite nice about having relatives who actually _liked_ him.  Of course, there were little minor upsets, like Chloe’s swollen feet and ankles, which he massaged for her, or Beatrice’s bloody homework -- why did they give her so much?  After Chloe caught him encouraging the child to set it all on fire, she shooed him away.  His wife’s anger at him had ended in such a passionate tumble in bed that he was tempted to again tell the little spawn to burn her homework!

He knew the bliss couldn’t last -- he had only hoped for more time.

Early one morning, a little under two weeks since the whole Barachiel incident ended, Lucifer pulled himself out of bed and wrapped himself in his robe.  As he padded to the kitchen to start breakfast for his family, a voice called out to him.  Pausing in mid-step, he turned with surprise to find Gabriel on his balcony.

“Father wants to see you,” the slender, red-headed angel said.  “The Council, as well.”

Lucifer instantly came alert, his sharp eyes narrowing as he approached his brother.  “What did you say?”

“F-Father wants to see you, as does the Council,” the angel repeated, nervously taking a step backward.

“Why?”

“I don’t know -- please don’t hurt me!” Gabriel cried before taking off like a shot for Heaven.  Lucifer stared after his brother’s disappearing figure in the early morning sky.

“Bloody hell, what was that?” he wondered to himself as Chloe, dressed in one of his silk shirts, came out of the bedroom.

“Lucifer, were you talking to someone?”

He glanced quickly at his wife, then at his brother’s disappearing figure, then back at her.  “Ah... yes,” he said, as he walked back and tightened the sash on his robe in a nervous gesture.  “That was... Gabriel, the pillock.”

Chloe’s eyebrows furrowed.  “What did he want?”

“Nothing good, I’m afraid,” he said with a final look at the balcony, as paranoia got a grip on him.  “Dad and the Council want to see me.”

“Why?”

“I have absolutely no bloody idea,” he muttered.  “But you can be sure it’s nothing good.”

Chloe walked up and hugged him from behind.  “You don’t know that for sure....”

“Well, what else could it be?” he asked as he turned and took her into his arms.  “Nothing good has ever come from Gabe on our balcony, love.”

They stood there in each other arms for a long minute before she finally said, “You should probably find out what they want.”

Lucifer’s insides instantly rebelled.  “I don’t want to,” he said stubbornly.  “Those bloody pricks....  I don’t give a damn about what they want.”

“I know,” she said soothingly as she placed her hand on his chest.  “But aren’t you curious about what they want to talk to you about?”

Annoyance shot through him.

“And Barachiel?  Don’t you want to know what they did with him?”

“No!  Yes!  Bloody hell, woman -- stop piquing my curiosity!”

Chloe said nothing, merely chuckled.  Reaching up, she ran her fingers through his short, neatly cropped hair just above his nape, before running a loving hand along his neck to the underside of his jaw.  The fallen angel shivered in reaction to her touch, arousal burning bright at the sensation of her fingers against his skin.  He buried his face in her long hair.

He didn’t want to go.  Bloody hell, he would have been happy if he never saw another one of those bloody arrogant angels again... but deep inside he knew that he couldn’t just bury his head in the sand.  After a long moment, he said, “Fine.  I’ll go, but under protest.”  His reluctant voice was muffled, but she heard him.

“It could be something important....”  When she felt him lift his head, she looked up into his dark eyes and caressed his stubble-lined cheek.  “I’ll take Trixie to school today.  You go.”

He turned his head and kissed her palm before pressing her hand against his cheek.  Finally, he nodded.  “Very well, wife.  I’ll go, but I don’t trust those sods.”

“I know,” she said.  “I’ll be here, waiting for you.  If you’re not back in a few hours, I will come looking for you.”

“Promise?” he asked, uncertainty reflecting in his eyes.

Kissing him first, she said, “I promise.  Now get dressed and go, so that you can come back quickly.”

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

“You wanted to see me?”

Lucifer stood in front of his siblings seated at the long table in the throne room, with his hands thrust in his trouser pockets and all of his defenses up.  A chair had been placed in front of the table, but he refused to sit in it, instead opting to pace like a caged lion.  He carefully studied each of the nine archangels before him -- Orphiel had taken Barachiel’s place -- and noted how serious and foreboding their faces looked.  Even Raphael looked... concerned.  This was not going to be good.

Orphiel stood up.  “Yes, we wanted to see you.”

“So you’re the new head of the Council,” the Devil observed, then snorted.  “Still pricks, the bloody lot of you.”

None of them reacted, save for Raphael, whose mouth twitched in a wry smile.

“Look, the only reason  I came up here was to satisfy my curiosity,” Lucifer continued.  “So tell me -- what did you do with Barachiel?”

“We placed him in a cell in Hell,” Orphiel said.

“Just that?”

“Just that.”

“No dismemberment first?”

“No.”

“Bloody hell,” spat Lucifer.  “That’s disappointing, to say the least.”

Orphiel’s eyes narrowed.  “It was a just sentence.”

“It wasn’t for you to decide!” the fallen angel snapped back.  “I’m the one who deals with punishments, not you!”

“He was the head of the Council.  It would not have been just to humiliate him before putting him in the cell,” another angel, Raguel piped up.

“Not just?  _Not just?!”_ Lucifer felt like his head was going to explode.  “Do you know what that rat bastard did?  Didn’t you see Rafe’s wings -- or lack, thereof?  Are you all bloody blind?!”

“Lucifer, calm down,” his sister Ariel said.  “What’s done is done.  This isn’t what we wanted to discuss with you.”

Suspicion narrowed Lucifer’s eyes as a bad feeling started creeping up his spine.  “Then what did you wish to discuss with me?”

Orphiel said, “Sit down,” as he gestured to the chair.

The fallen angel looked at the chair like it was a viper.  “Like an unruly child facing the school principal?  No, thank you.”  Instead he stood behind it and rested his hands on the backrest.  “Now, what is it you wish to discuss with me?”

The Council leader shook his head at the recalcitrant angel.  “Very well, stand if you like.  Barachiel told us that you have made a Nephilim with your Old God.”

Lucifer straightened at that, indignation burning within him at Orphiel’s statement.  “The detective and I have made a child yet to be born, yes.  Is it a bloody Nephilim?  No.”

“You don’t know that --” Jegudiel said.

 _“I know,”_ their fallen brother snarled.  “It won’t be.”

Orphiel shook his head.  “No matter what you say, the Council has made its decision.  We must kill the Nephilim and the Old God.  We cannot take the risk of another Nephilim set upon the Earth.”

A fierce anger shot through Lucifer, so great he thought he would burst into flame at that very instant.  “Bloody hell, you will _not!”_ Lucifer raged.  The frame of the backrest splintered under his hands as his tightened his grip on the chair.

The Council leader’s eyes were cold and emotionless.  “You cannot fight the will of the Council, Lucifer.”

“Yes, I can!”  Tossing the chair aside as if it was nothing, the fallen angel confronted his archangel siblings with fire in his eyes and rage in every inch of his body.  “I _can,_ because you bloody sods owe me!”

As the Council erupted in chatter, Orphiel eyed the Devil and snapped, “We _owe_ you?  And how do you figure that?”

“Dad was kidnapped by Barachiel, and came to _me_ for help.  I did my best to protect him for you sods.  My wife healed him, for crying out loud!  I stopped Barachiel -- practically had him bloody gift-wrapped for you.  Barachiel, who planned on destroying all the humans and taking over Heaven!  So the way I see it, yes -- you bloody sods owe me!”

A deathly silence fell over the room as all the archangels exchanged glances.

“He is right, you know,” Raphael said.  He was the only one who remained calm.  “His wife saved Father.  Without her, he would have died.  And she saved me.  Lucifer subdued Barachiel for us, and he didn’t press his rights when it came to punishing him.  I’d say that means we owe him.”

 _“Thank you,”_ Lucifer said to the healer, then turned to Orphiel as he pointed at Raphael.  “There, you see?  Someone who sees reason!”

Orphiel’s eyes narrowed.  “So what do you want, in exchange?”

Taking a deep breath, he said, “Right.  I want you to leave my family alone.  You leave my wife and unborn child alone.  Do you understand?”

“We cannot do that.  If it is a Nephilim --”

“But you don’t bloody well know that yet, do you?  You don’t.  So until you do, hands off my family!”

The Council leader gave the Devil a considering glance, then shook his head.  “No.  The stakes are too great.  We are custodians of the Earth and we have a responsibility to protect it.  We cannot comply with your request.  We must kill them both now.”

Fury ripped through Lucifer, so hot and bright that he was practically alight with flame.  “You will not harm my wife or my child.  Do not push me, Orph.  You don’t know what I’m capable of.”

“He did destroy the Northern Edge,” Jerahmeel said.

“And he did bring a demon army down upon our heads,” Selaphiel added.

“And that was with only one bloody demon king,” Lucifer spat.  “Imagine if I released all of the demon kings upon you!”

An anger rivalling the Devil’s welled up in Orphiel.  Vaulting over the table, he rushed up to the fallen angel and got nose-to-nose with him.  “Do not threaten me, Fallen One.  You have no idea what _I_ am capable of.”

“Then don’t threaten my family,” Lucifer spat back.

The two brothers stared at each other angrily for many minutes, neither willing to back down.  Orphiel might have thought the fallen angel a threat to his authority, but Lucifer was fighting for his family -- he had infinitely more to lose, in his opinion.

And then suddenly Raphael was there in between them, pushing them apart.  “Stop it, both of you.”  Turning to the Council leader, the healer said, “Look, Orphiel, Barachiel cut _my_ wings off -- not yours.  If it wasn’t for the Old God, I would be maimed and stuck on Earth for the rest of my days.  I think I have a say in this.”

“Speak, then,” Orphiel said.

At his tone, Lucifer muttered under his breath, “Arrogant bastard.”  Raphael shot his fallen brother a warning look.

“Leave Lucifer and his family alone.  We don’t know if the baby is a Nephilim.  If it isn’t, then we would be taking an innocent life.  Father would not approve.”

“We cannot take the chance that it isn’t a Nephilim.”  The Council leader’s hard face looked unrelenting... merciless.

“It won’t be,” the Devil ground out.

“But if it is, we must kill it.  Best we kill it now, while it still rests in the mother’s womb --”

“Bloody hell, no one touches my family but me!”

Orphiel’s eyebrows rose at his statement.  “So....   _You_ will take care of the Nephilim?”

Grabbing his fallen brother’s arm, Raphael warned, “Lucifer, don’t get lured into --”

“It’s _not_ a Nephilim!”  Lucifer roared as his eyes burned with fire, and shook off his brother’s hand.

“But if it is?  For even you know what a Nephilim loosed upon the world will do.”

“Then I’ll deal with it,” Lucifer said recklessly, with a lifted chin.  “It’s my child.  I will deal with it, if it is -- but it won’t be.”

“Your word?”

“My word -- but it won’t be.”

Orphiel’s gaze went from Raphael to Lucifer, studying them carefully before he finally nodded.  “So be it.  But if it is a Nephilim, and you cannot destroy it, Lucifer, then we will -- both it, and its mother.”  The Council leader headed back to his seat in the middle of the table.  “We will be watching.  You may go now.  Father wishes to see you.”

When it looked like the fallen angel was going to confront Orphiel once more, Raphael grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the throne room.

“Bloody hell, Rafe!  Why did you stop me?  I wanted to punch the arrogant prick --”

“Heavenly Father, Lucifer, do you even know what you’ve promised?”

“What?” Lucifer said defensively.  “I promised to do something that I’ll never have to fulfill, because the baby won’t be a bloody Nephilim.  I see nothing wrong with that.”

“You’re a fool,” Raphael groaned, shaking his head.  When the Devil opened his mouth to argue, his brother cut him off.  “Look, don’t make things worse than they already are, Luci.  Come on, I’ll take you to Father.”

As they walked down the long marble halls, Lucifer asked, “How... how is Dad?”

Raphael shot him a small smile.  “Alive, thanks to Chloe.  He’s... better.  Still insane, but somewhat better.  Has his good days and bad days.  You’re in luck, for today is one of his good days.”

“And you?”

“Same.  Good days and bad days,” he said with a shrug.  “And here we are.  You know the way -- up those stairs.”  He pointed up to where Yahweh’s solar was located.  As he turned to leave, Lucifer stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“Rafe... thanks.”

The healer merely nodded.  “Tell Chloe I’ll be seeing her on Saturday to check up on the baby.  I’ll see you around, Luci.”

And with that, he walked away.  Lucifer stood in the hall, watching him leave, feeling... sad, but not knowing exactly why.  Shaking his head, he climbed the stairs to see his father.

 


	20. Dad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A really big thank you to my wonderful beta, ScooterThyme, whose hard work made this chapter shine! Thank you!

 

 

“Hello, Dad.”

The white-haired god turned at the sound of Lucifer’s voice, a look of joy coming over his face.  It rattled Lucifer to see his father so... happy.  As the fallen angel closed the door quietly behind him, his father rushed around his desk and ran up to him, falling to his knees and grabbing him around the waist.  Before his son could even move, Yahweh started sobbing madly against him.  Lucifer was appalled.

“Dad!  Dad!  Stop it, Dad!” he cried as he tried to get out of his father’s tight grip.  This was even more horrifying than Yahweh hiding behind tables and chairs!

“I’m sorry, Samael!  I’m so sorry!” the god wailed loudly.  “Forgive me, son!  Please forgive me!”

“Dad, please!  This is completely unbecoming of you!  Please stop groveling and get up!”

But his father just continued to weep.  With a dramatic sigh, a rolling of his eyes, and an exasperated, “Bloody hell!” Lucifer stopped trying to unwrap his father from around him and just stood there.  Ten minutes later, the storm passed as Yahweh’s sobs finally turned to sniffles.

“Are you done now?” the fallen angel asked impatiently.

Yahweh nodded against him.

“Bloody hell, Dad, I thought they said you were better,” he snapped as the god sniffed loudly and tried to stop his nose from running.  “And don’t you dare wipe your nose on me.  Use your own bloody sleeve.  Or a tissue -- if you have one in this place.  Now, come on --”  Lucifer tried to haul his father to his feet.  “Up you get.”

As the god stood, he glanced into his son’s face and, seeing the frustration there, started crying again.  Big tears rolled down his eyes as he bit his quivering lower lip.

“Oh, bollocks,” Lucifer muttered as his father grabbed him in a bear hug and wept.  Helpless to do anything else, he finally started patting the god awkwardly on the back, much like he did with Trixie when she cried.  “There, there,” he said as he rolled his eyes.

After another ten minutes of crying, Lucifer had had enough.

“Bloody...!  Right.  Come on, Dad, let’s sit you down, yeah?  Your chair is right over there.”

After sitting his father down behind his desk, Lucifer took a seat opposite him.  Crossing his legs and resting his laced fingers on his knee, he studied Yahweh.  The god looked nothing like the harsh, unbending father of his youth.  He now looked... old.  Tired.  And... softer.  Kinder, if that was even possible.

“So....” Lucifer began awkwardly.  “You wanted to see me, Dad?”

The god ran a sleeve over his eyes, trying to stop the flow of tears.  “I wondered... how you were doing.”

That caught him off-guard.  As far back as he could remember, his father had never asked about his health.  Why was he asking now?  His voice was tight with repressed anger as he said, “I’m fine.”

“Oh.”

Father and son sat across from each other a long time, each one looking everywhere but at the other, before Lucifer finally broke the silence.  “Can I ask you a question?”

Yahweh nodded.

“Why?”

The god blinked.  “Why what?”

“Why... did you save me?” Lucifer asked.  “I mean, bloody hell, Dad, you didn’t have to step in front of Barachiel’s sword... and yet you did.  Why?”

“You’re my son, and you were in danger.  Why wouldn’t I?” Yahweh countered.

That made no sense to Lucifer.  His father had never done a selfless thing in his entire existence.  He laughed sardonically as contempt came to the fore.  “Forgive me, Father, but as far as I know, you would never do something that didn’t somehow benefit  _ you. _  So tell me why once more -- the truth, this time, if you please.”

The god’s eyes suddenly teared up again.  “That  _ is _ the truth, son.  You... you don’t believe me, do you?”

“You manipulated me, lied to everyone about me, turned me into the Devil -- all for your own bloody benefit,  _ Dad. _  Tell me why I should believe you!”

“I’m sorry.  I’m so sorry!”  The god covered his face in his hands and bawled like a baby.

“Oh, bloody -- not again!” Lucifer groaned.  How did one stop a parent from crying?  What was he supposed to do?  What would Chloe do?

“Dad,” he said as he leaned forward against the desk and tried to get his father’s attention.  “Dad, please stop crying.  I abhor tears.  Dad!”

After a good five minutes, the crying subsided; Lucifer gave a relieved sigh.  Sniffing loudly, Yahweh wiped his runny nose on the sleeve of his robe.  “I had hoped... that I could somehow make things up to you,” he said in a wobbly voice.

“After all that you’ve done to me, a simple sorry isn’t going to cut it,” Lucifer said quietly.

“I know,” his father said.  “I know, but... I  _ am _ sorry!”

Letting out an exasperated sigh, the fallen angel said, “Look, Dad, I appreciate that you saved my life, but you wronged me.  You sent me to Hell.  You treated me like trash.  I can’t just... forget all of that.”

“I know, son.  I know... but... can you... give me another chance?”

A bitter look crossed Lucifer’s face.  “I don’t know why I should.  You never did.”

“I know,” Yahweh said as more fat tears rolled down his face.  “I know... but please.  It will be different this time.  I’m different.”  Desperately, the god reached out across the desk and clutched his son’s hand.  “Look, I’ll abdicate.  I’ll give you the throne.  Just please... find it in your heart to forgive me.”

“I don’t want your throne.  I never wanted your bloody throne!” Lucifer snapped angrily.  “Don’t you even know who I am?  I’m all about free will, Dad.  I don’t want to rule other people and oppress their free will.  We should all be able to do as we please!”

“But... but if everyone did as they pleased, there would be chaos!  Anarchy!” his father cried, horrified.

“Then there will be chaos!  But at least it would be because we freely choose it!” snapped the fallen angel.

Yahweh just stared at him fearfully.  “Is that how you ran Hell?”

Lucifer opened his mouth, then shut it again.  Truth be told, that was not how he ran Hell, for anarchy among demons was truly a frightening thing to behold.  Hell was run with an iron fist; he was the demons’ lord and master, to be obeyed.

“No,” he said quietly.  “Bloody hell, that’s not how Hell was run.”

“Then how can we run Heaven like that?  Heaven and Hell -- they are not so different.”

“I... I see your point.”  He sighed and rubbed his forehead.  He was getting a headache.  “Dad, do you truly want to abdicate?”

The god nodded.  “I must atone for my sins.”

That surprised Lucifer.  He never thought he’d ever hear his father admit he had done  _ anything _ wrong.  Things  _ had _ changed.

“Very well,” the fallen angel muttered.  “I’ll let the Council know.  We’ll find an interim ruler -- a regent to take over, until you change your mind, or until we find a suitable replacement.”  As his father nodded, he continued, “I... I can’t say I forgive you, Dad.  There’s been too much water under the bridge.”

Yahweh looked crushed.  “I understand.”

Upon seeing his father’s expression, Lucifer rolled his eyes.  He couldn’t believe what he was about to say.  “But....”

“But?”  The god looked up, the hope on his face a pitiful sight.

He heaved a sigh.  “Maybe we can... try to move forward, a little at a time.  Baby steps, as it were.”

Yahweh nodded enthusiastically.  “I can do baby steps.”

“Very well.”  As Lucifer made to get to his feet, the god stood as well, his hands in a nervous grip in front of his chest.

“Can I... Can I come visit you sometimes?  To see my granddaughter?”

The fallen angel stared in surprise.  “Beatrice?”

“Yes... and your unborn child.  My other grandchild.  Please...?”

For a long moment he studied his father, before nodding reluctantly.  “Right.  Sure.  But just short visits, mind you!  The last thing I need is a bloody parent living with me in my flat, mucking up my jam.”

A big grin lit the god’s face, which had Lucifer staring once again.  He had never seen his father so... honestly joyful.  It was an odd sight.  “Right,” the fallen angel said, giving his father an odd look and hoping he wasn’t making the biggest mistake of his life.

“Thank you, Samael -- thank you!”

“My name is Lucifer, Dad.”

The god swallowed hard and nodded.  “Lucifer.  Thank you, Lucifer.”

It was the first time Yahweh had ever called him Lucifer.  The world felt skewed, as if it had suddenly tilted on its axis.  Perhaps... it was a good sign...?   Truth be told, he didn’t know if he could ever forgive his father for the things he had done to him -- it was surprising that he was even having a conversation with the god without throwing something at his head -- but a small part of him recognized that he couldn’t stay angry forever.  As Healing had told him, anger was a corrosive thing.  Perhaps things would never be right between them, but at least he was giving the old bugger a chance.

It was a start.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

As soon as Lucifer went home, he found his wife waiting for him on the balcony.  Chloe looked beautiful with her hair shining like gold in the sunlight, and a big smile on her face.  The pregnancy had given her a glow, making her quite breathtaking to behold.  Taking her into his arms, he kissed her fiercely, then wasted no time in carrying her to bed.  She seemed to understand his turmoil, responding to his touch with equal ferocity as they entwined and made mad, passionate love.

Afterward, as they lay sprawled together on the big bed in the daylight, Lucifer told Chloe of what had happened in Heaven.

“Do you think I’m mad?” he asked her.  “Giving that old bugger a second chance?”

“I think what you did was very nice,” she said as she laid her cheek on his chest.

“Nice,” he scoffed.   _ “Nice! _  The Devil is not nice!  Bloody hell, now I  _ know _ I’ve gone soft....”

“You’ve always been soft,” she teased, causing him to frown mightily.  Chuckling at his expression, she said, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.  Your father sounds like he’s changed, and for the better.  At least he’s not hiding under tables or behind couches, anymore.”

“Rafe said Dad has his good and bad days.”

“How is he?  Rafe, I mean.”

As he kissed Chloe’s head, Lucifer thought hard about his brother.  “Not... quite the same as he was.  A little... harder, I suppose.  He still laughs, but... not quite as much.  His visit with Healing definitely improved him, but it might take a while for him to get back to his old self.”

“He should see Doctor Martin,” she suggested.

Lucifer brightened at that.  “Splendid idea, love!  Why, those two can start their own clinic!  Rafe can heal people, and she can help them cope!  And oh, the sex those two would have!  Linda does do hot yoga, after all, and is freakishly flexible --”

“Ugh!  No, Lucifer, just no,” cried Chloe as she covered her eyes.

“You’re right.  I’m not sure Rafe could handle our good doctor.  He is such a stick-in-the-mud, after all!  He probably only knows one position --”

“Lucifer!”

He laughed, the warm, sensuous sound rumbling through his chest. 

“At least the baby will be safe,” Chloe said as she gave him a loving glance.  “Thanks to you, my wheeling, dealing Devil.”

Her praise had Lucifer puffing up with pride.  A smug smile graced his face.  “Of course, my dear!  The Devil is an expert in negotiation, as you well know.”  His grin turned wicked.  “Speaking of negotiation, why don’t we....”

His whispered words in her ear had her laughing as she blushed.  “Well,” she purred, “I have a counteroffer....”

“Do tell?” he asked with interest.  As she whispered back in his ear, an excited expression lit up his face and his eyes twinkled with merriment.  “Oooh, I think I might take that counteroffer!  Or, perhaps, up the ante....?”

With a sudden movement, he took her in his arms and rolled them both over, so that she lay under him.  Kissing her deeply, he propped himself up with one arm while he let his free hand caress her until she was moaning helplessly.  Seeing his wife so aroused caused his desire for her to burn even brighter, until they were both aflame.  It was a wonder that they hadn’t set the building on fire!  Smiling devilishly, he kissed her lips, then the base of her neck, then started to stray lower....

They stayed in bed for a long time afterward.

 

 

________________________________________

 

 

Lucifer stared lovingly at his sleeping wife in his arms, thanking the stars above for her presence in his life.  She made him... complete.  He shivered to think of what his life would have been like had he never met her.  Bleak.  Empty.

At least she and the baby were safe -- for now.  He had only told Chloe that he made a deal with the Council for them to leave her alone in exchange for saving Yahweh.  He had left out the part about having to promise Orphiel he’d deal with the baby if it turned out to be a Nephilim.  If she ever found out about the deal he’d had to make, she’d never forgive him.  Reaching down, he caressed her belly and the growing life inside.

“Don’t be a Nephilim,” he whispered softly.  “I’m counting on you.”

Gathering Chloe close, he kissed the top of her head and reveled in the feel of her body against his.  She shifted against him, but didn’t wake up.  He wished he could fall into a peaceful, blissful sleep, as well.  Too many thoughts crowded into his head, but he pushed them all away.  For today, he would enjoy his time with his wife.  Having bought them time, he would take advantage of every second.  He would worry tomorrow.

Tomorrow....

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A super huge THANK YOU!!!! to all of you fantastic readers for all of your support! I really appreciate that you would keep reading this long saga, now that Season 2 is airing. This Lucifer and Chloe have diverged so far from canon that it means quite a lot to me that you would continue to stay with them. Thank you so much for reading and for your comments -- your insights, plot bunnies, suggestions, and excitement for the chapters keep me inspired to keep writing. You are all amazing, awesome people! I hope you enjoyed this installment and will join me for the next one!
> 
> Speaking of which, Part 10 has already been written and is with my excellent beta. Unfortunately, real life has been keeping ScooterThyme very busy, plus it's the holidays, so the posting schedule might slip for this coming Monday. If it does, hopefully it won't be delayed for more than a week. Please hang in there and keep an eye out. Part 10 doesn't have a title yet, but I'll be putting on my thinking cap on to come up with one this weekend. If you would like a little preview of what is coming, I'll leave a little blurb at the end of the notes, clearly marked. That way you can skip it, if you like. :-)
> 
> Thank you all once again for your continued reading! You are all awesome and I appreciate every single one of you!! :D
> 
>  
> 
> ********************************************Part 10 Preview****************************************************  
> Remember that deal Lucifer made with Orphiel and the Council in chapter 19? It's going to come back to haunt him big time -- he will inadvertently put his relationship with Chloe on the line because of it. Orphiel, meanwhile, will start to pressure Lucifer into fulfilling his side of the deal. And yes, Chloe will have the baby in this installment! :D  
> *********************************************Preview End******************************************************

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Snowed In with the Devil - A Carry On, Wayward Son Story](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8973346) by [Antarctic_Echoes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antarctic_Echoes/pseuds/Antarctic_Echoes)




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